RESIDENT EVIL: THE ROAD TO DESTINY
by Cordis
Summary: The Veronica nightmare is over but now Chris and Claire must prepare themselves for the battles ahead. Please review
1. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All resident evil characters places and things are the rightful property of Capcom and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is simply for fun and enjoyment. 

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RESIDENT EVIL: THE ROAD TO DESTINY

The plane rocked as it made its downward decent towards the dense, overflow of tree's below. The Hidden STARS warehouse was well concealed and wouldn't be detectable unless someone were a few yards away from its position. Chris was just returning from rescuing his sister from the Antarctic base. Claire was both emotionally and Physically drained from the ordeal. She had originally started out searching for her lost brother yet ended up losing someone very dear to her in the process. Thus, Chris was not surprised when, after landing, he noticed that his sister was lost in a deep sleep.

He slowly and meticulously unbuckled her safety belts and gently carried her to the warehouse. Upon entering, He laid her down on a pain in a room he originally used for storage until now. After regarding her sleeping form for a while Chris exited the room and made his way to the computer terminals located towards the center of the warehouse. 

Chris couldn't let go of all the pounding thoughts coursing through his mind. Things had been all figured out until a few days ago. He had been on his own ever since the Spencer incident. After the STARS had returned from that unreal environment, nobody would believe their stories. Even worse, most people even went so far as to pin the blame on them for the deaths of their teammates. This infuriated Chris. He was not one for politics so he finally decided to take matters into his own hands. He would not let his comrade's deaths go unavenged. Jill had suggested that they should try one last time to rally the people and get them to listen however Chris knew better. The more you try to tell people the truth, the more the media would bend that truth so that it slandered you. A few days more of trying to persuade the people and Chris finally decided he needed to act instead of wasting time letting Umbrella spread more lies about them. After leaving a note for Barry, Jill, Rebecca, and Brad, He promptly caught a plane to Europe. It had been a tremendous emotional strain for Chris to part with the very people who he fought beside to stay alive during the Whole Spencer incident, especially Jill.

Shortly after, Chris busied himself with numerous espionage activities, secretly unlocking more and more clues as to Umbrella's secrets. However the more he discovered, the more he was convinced of how twisted and insane the Umbrella Corporation really was. He had even experienced missions similar to the events that took place in the Spencer estate. Chris new he was fighting a lost battle but much to his surprise later on, he didn't care. He was prepared to die so long as he knew he died fighting rather then dying on the receiving end of another one of Umbrella's deadly outbreaks. However this new turn of event put a considerable chink in his plans. He was happy to be reunited with his sister and all but he knew he couldn't protect her. And he couldn't leave her in this emotionally weakened condition she was in. His sister was counting on his support now more then ever. Chris knew that despite the fact Claire survived two horror incidents with Umbrella on her own, the missions Chris undertook would be far too dangerous for her. 

These thoughts troubled Chris and brought him to even more realizations. He had been prepared to die before, but now, with Claire in the picture, he just couldn't afford to die. She was lost and vulnerable after her last episode and she needed his support. Only one choice remained to him and he leaned over in his chair, facing his computer monitors. He recalled a comment he told his sister after they had escaped from Antarctica. 'It's time to finish Umbrella once and for all. Their going to pay for what they've done.' He knew that, had he kept his old mindset, he would have been only deluding himself. Sure he would have put a dent in Umbrella's armor but sooner or later it would cost him his life. Chris knew he couldn't do it alone. He let out a long sigh as he leaned over his terminal and called of the locations of his old STARS comrades. It had been nearly 4 months since he had last seen or heard from them. He didn't want to have to involve them anymore if he didn't have to. This was his fight. But now things had changed. The things he learned in Antarctica and the Ashford estate frightened Chris more then he would care to let on. If Wesker was any indication of how out of control the situation was getting, then he knew the world would be in serious trouble if Umbrella was not stopped soon. He then sent an email to Leon telling him to get there as soon as he could. Time was running out and if they were going to have any chance of defeating Umbrella at all, they would have to be unified and prepared because if they weren't, Their enemy sure as hell would be. 

Hi everyone sorry this is kinda short but I just had to write this. I've been hearing rumors that future resident evil sequals will have whole new plots and will take the same path final fanasy did. I hate that. Thus I wanted to somehow keep our favorite resident evil characters alive. And even if I'm wrong, I'm still happy to write this fic cause im a resident evil nut. I'm still working on my other ff8 fic emperor of darkness but the idea for this fic just kinda hit me. Inspiration after I beat code veronica I guess. But anyway what do you think? As I am still having a handful writing my other fic im unsure if I should leave this as just a one shot or if I should just keep it going. What do you think? Well as always thanks for reading! 

-Cordis 


	2. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I own none of the resident evil places, characters or things. They all belong to capcom and other involved companies. This fanfic is merely for fun and enjoyment. 

****

RESIDENT EVIL: THE ROAD TO DESTINY

PART 2

Jill closed her eyes in angry frustration. "Why me" she muttered to herself as she picked up the phone and began dialing a number out of her black number booklet. She waited impatiently as the ringer continued to buzz. She felt her hands becoming sweaty. The ringing then came to a stop and her ear was instead met by a voice this time. 

"Hello, this is Carlos. I am unable to answer your call right now so please leave a name, number and a detailed message and ill try to return your call as soon as possible."

Jill's heart skipped a beat at hearing his voice again. After her escape from Raccoon City, she and Carlos had become very close. After the explosion, they landed in Italy to start there own offensive against Umbrella. Unfortunately, Umbrella had been tipped off by undercover agents, reporting that they were in the area. Thus they were forced to lay low for a while. Aside from the occasional shootout or car getaway escapades, Carlos and Jill enjoyed themselves immensely. Jill knew she should have simply left Italy after the first month of disaster yet for some reason she stayed. And that resulted in a growth in her feelings for the young mercenary Carlos. Jill could tell that she was falling in love with him ahead of time yet it simply could not be. Not while her heart still belonged to another. After the middle of the second month things began to get intense between her and Carlos. They were a lot more comfortable with being in close distance with each other and they would often hold hands and even kiss on occasion. Much to Jill's dismay, she never tried to sever the strong link they were developing for one another. By the end of the second month they both gave in to their 'not so hidden' desires and slept together. Jill knew the very next day that they had crossed the line. Carlos, on the other hand, was adamant with the idea that what they did was perfectly fine and he even hinted at the idea that they go even further. A few days after that, Jill was so consumed with guilt and so convinced that their night of passion was a mistake that the young couple had a falling out which resulted in Jill going back to her original plan to find Chris. At the same time, it gave her a chance to clear her mind. However, Carlos, on the other hand, chose to go to Florida vowing that, despite their differences, he would still have his hand in bringing down Umbrella. 

That had been two months ago. Jill had just recently received an email from Barry of all people. She hand not seen him in four months. Yet she knew it was no time for fun and games and his email was short and to the point. _"Jill, I don't know where you are but meet me at Alpha Tango in one week." _It was very short and sketchy but Jill was positive that in concerned Umbrella. Otherwise Barry wouldn't have risked making any outside contacts. Alpha Tango had been the password for the secret warehouse they used to meet in after the whole fiasco with the Spencer estate. Jill knew immediately that they would need Carlo's help in this. After all, they needed all the help they could get and despite her uneasiness around him, Carlos proved himself to be a very capable soldier. It took Jill only two days to make it back to America and now she was situated in a hotel in Florida using the number Carlos had given her in case she wanted to get in contact with him. 

Once the line beeped, Jill scrounged up her courage and began to speak. "Hi Carlos, its me Jill. Long time no see huh? Look I'm in town for a few days. Can you meet me at Hanson Park tomorrow? I need to talk with you, it's very important. I'll be there at 12:00am sharp. Bye." 

Jill hung up the phone and sighed deeply. _'Not too formal was it Jill?'_ She chided herself mentally. She then shook her troubling thoughts away and rose to her feet. There were more dangerous things in store for her other than a troubling relationship. She then pocketed her keys and walked out the door in search of a good weapons shop in the area.

****

Phoenix Arizona: 10:30pm

Leon hastily packed his bag and made last minute checks on all of his weapons. He was so engrossed in this mechanical routine he had been performing countless times earlier, that he was mildly shocked back to reality when Sherry suddenly cried out. 

"Leon their here!"

Leon nodded swiftly. "Ok sherry remember the plan. At the count of five, you open that floorboard and slide down the trail below. Once you hit ground level, keep running until you hit Henson Field. There should be a chopper waiting for you there. I'll promptly meet you there 5 minutes after your arrival and if I'm not there in 10, leave without me."

Sherry nodded sadly with a hurt look on her face. "B-but you 'will' make it won't you Leon? You wouldn't leave me would you?" 

Leon's heart ached at the sight of the poor girl. She had gone through so much. The look she gave him made his heart cry out. Her lower lip was trembling and he knew that she wanted to cry out at any minute. She had stoically harbored so much pain that Leon was sure he had never met a braver child in his life. However he quickly dismissed these thoughts, as now was not the best time to be thinking this way. "I'll be there Sherry, don't you worry about that. Just stick to the plan ok?" 

She nodded morbidly. 

Suddenly their short-lived silence was broken as it was replaced with the sounds of shattering glass. Leon moved right into action. He took his place in front of the apartment door. He and Sherry had lived here for the past few weeks but already their peace was broken with the coming of agents bent of ensuring their deaths. Pulling out his advanced magnum, he made sure the coil around his waist was correctly secured. "On 5 Sherry! 4, 3, 2, … 1! GO GO GO GO!" He cried as Sherry flung open the floorboard which lead to the underground passage and slid down the ramp that would take her far away from the war zone. 

Once she was through, Leon bagged up so that he was standing on the, now closed, floorboard and aimed his custom magnum at the door. As if on cue, the door burst open revealing several swat team police officers. Without warning, Leon opened fire shooting three times. Three of the swat team members fell listlessly to the floor as others quickly took their place. These new men barged in, and opened fire furiously. However, Leon wasn't going to give them an easy target. While still facing his opposition, Leon tossed himself out of his six-story apartment window. He fired three more rounds as he made his decent to the ground below. 3 feet from the ground, His waist coil gave in and stopped his fall. He quickly unbuckled the safety lock then darted from the area just as it was bombarded with raining bullets. Leon didn't look back as he quickly reloaded then fired behind him, still running at top speed the whole time. 

He momentarily picked up the pace, then leapt over a nearby fence realizing that this would slow is adversaries down a bit. Landing on the other side, he again resumed his trek to the specified rendezvous point. The sounds of bullets being fired in his direction, hastened his speed and caused him to dodge behind many objects for cover. His breathing became frantic as the bullet sounds grew louder and closer. Nearing a bend, he made a hard left then jumped down into a ditch. The ditch acted as a sewer line and was filled with many unsavory elements. However, Leon didn't care as he raced through it all, not giving a second thought to the putrid scent that welcomed him in his new surroundings. A few yards ahead, he could see a railing at the far right. He made for it, just as he heard his attackers entering the tunnel. He suppressed a smile at the sounds of his assailants cursing at the plight of their new environment. The rain of bullets quickly dispersed these thoughts and he swiftly leapt onto the railings ascending to street level. 

Leaping from the hole, he noticed that he was now in a park. Leon quickly formulated a plan to use this to his advantage and leapt behind a bush. Luckily, it was late so there would be no children in the area. He cautiously watched as his attackers slowly emerged from the tunnel and evaluated their position. There were seven of them and by the way they were moving Leon knew for a fact that they only wore the swat team outfits as cover. He knew they were secret agents possibly working for Umbrella or the separate government faction that met with at the hospital and offered him a job. Leon knew that if they were the government agents, they wouldn't be so merciful this time around. And if they worked for Umbrella, then he had no choice but to run since he already knew for a fact that they wanted him dead. They all had standard issue scope rifles and M16 machine guns. With the full body armor they were wearing, he surmised that head shots would be the key to winning this battle. 

Slowly inching above the cover of bushes, he aimed his custom magnum at one of the agents. He would only get one shot and then they would be upon him again. He aimed for the man standing closest to his position then opened fire. In one split second, Leon's whole world turned upside down again. The second the man dropped lifelessly to the ground, his companions swerved in Leon's direction and opened fire on him. Leon leapt from his position behind the bushes and broke into a wild run. He fired a few shots behind him and was rewarded with the sound of an angry scream. He was sure he had snagged one of the attackers. He dodged behind a slide, avoiding the rain of bullets that would have otherwise pelted him. His breathing was ragged and frantic and Leon knew that he couldn't keep up this pace much longer. On the same note, he couldn't figure out how he was even able to safely get to this hiding place, given the amount of men they had on their side. He quickly reloaded his weapon, then sprang from cover again. Head low, he sprinted towards a tree and pushed himself behind it as a shower of bullets followed his trail. Suddenly he realized what they were doing. They were boxing him in around the park. They would play their game of cat and mouse till he obediently allowed himself to walk into their mousetrap. Leon bit his lip in thought. He head was pounding, half from exertion, and half from trying to think amidst all of the surrounding chaos. 

Leon swore silently to himself then scanned the area to get a glimpse of his enemy's tactics. He spotted two of them coming from either side, a few yards ahead of his position. He turned slightly and saw that the rest were planning on flanking him from behind. He swallowed hard, realizing he wasn't left with too many alternatives. _'It seems they leave me with only one option' _he thought to himself in anger. Checking his ammo, he noted that he had 4 bullets left. His R.P.D. uniform clung tightly to him as he perspired from the relentless heat of the night. He pushed the bangs away from his sweaty face as he checked his watch. "Only 5 minutes left." He muttered silently. 

The sound of footsteps forced Leon to decide on his choice of action. Gathering his courage, he slowly crept on one knee and targeted the man closest to his position. He had decided to go for the two men ahead of him. Sweat beading down on his face, he closed his eyes tight. His sweaty fingers slowly applied pressure to the trigger of his magnum and fired. After the bullet penetrated flesh, shattered bone, and tore through the delicate substance of brain matter, the man dropped with a loud thump and immediately aroused his partner into action. Without stopping, Leon broke into a fast sprint, aiming while he ran. The second man opened fire, however Leon was unperturbed as he continued racing towards him, firing his own weapon in response. Leon winked in pain as he felt the stinging bite of a bullet tear through his waist yet he continued to fire. He wasted two of his bullets before the third and final one hit home, ripping through the poor man's throat. 

Once the man was down, Leon slumped to the closest tree and pressed his hand against the wound. _'Shit!'_ He swore mentally. He felt the sticky blood seeping through his clothing and sliding between his fingers. Luckily, the shot was too wide and managed to miss all of his vital organs. However, it still hurt like hell and Leon shut his eyes tight to suppress the pain when he realized the bullet had passed all the way through. He reached over and tore a piece of clothing off his latest victim and quickly wrapped it around his waist to try and stop the bleeding. He scanned his watch again. "3 more minutes." He knew that time was running out. Without a second thought, he rose back up to his feet, forcing back the pain, then slowly jogged ahead. His only thoughts now were of making it to the rendezvous point in time. At the sounds of his heavy footfalls, his attackers swiftly resumed pursuit and were firing once again. He slowly picked up the pace but with every step he could feel more and more of his life-blood seeping away through his fingers. 

His breathing became ragged and his steps began to falter more and more. He couldn't take much more of this. One of the bullets zipped by, inches away from his face, bringing him back to the dilemma at hand. He plopped over to an overturned tree trunk and sat down to catch is breath. His face was now dripping with sweat and his head was hot with a rising fever. " 2 more minutes…" 

Once again, he struggled to his feet. This time the bullets were closer then before. He ducked low and pushed himself behind another tree. He glanced at his now empty magnum and holstered it. He then withdrew his standard issue berretta from his second weapon holster. One of the assailants made the mistake of inching too close to his position and Leon fired 6 shots at the man then heard him drop to the pavement. Leon crouched low and saw that the remaining three had split up and were nowhere in sight. Taking a sidelong glance at his watch, he noticed he only had one more minute left.

Making a choice, he broke from cover and ran towards his pickup point as fast as he could. Gunshots rang behind him and he ran faster. Blood was pouring freely from his open wound and his legs were becoming heavier yet he paid no heed to this as he continued his dash. He was almost there. He only had a few more yards to cover before he was at his scheduled pickup. _'Just hang on Sherry, I'm coming for you.' _ The gunshots grew louder and he was forced to seek shelter behind a tree. Angling slightly, he fired back from behind his cover. After 4 shots, he pulled back up and ran even faster. _'10 more seconds.' _He picked up the pace and ran even faster. The sporadic shots assured him that his attackers were getting exhausted from the race. This spurred him on faster. _'Please Sherry, just wait for me a little longer.'_

Suddenly the sting of another bullet ripped through his shirtsleeve and winged his arm. Though the shot was not significantly hazardous, the desired effect was apparent as Leon found himself tumbling to the ground. He struggled to regain his footing but heard his attackers heading towards him. He had 8 more rounds in his berretta and so he held it out at arm's length preparing to fire. The second one of his assailants was in sight, he opened fire with 4 shots. The man fell to the ground, screaming in pain as one of Leon's bullets shattered his kneecap. The other two immediately took cover and returned fire. 

Leon rolled over just in time, then shot to his feet. He dove behind one tree then scrambled to another. Hoping his aim was true, he peeled himself back from his cover and fired once. Luckily his shot tore right through the man's eye and continued its course out from the back up his head. His partner jumped behind another tree and Leon took his chance to make a break for it yet again. He looked at his watch and cringed inwardly. _'One minute late. Please, don't leave yet Sherry.' _He continued his sprint until finally he reached the clearing. The wind whipped wildly around him as he heard the welcome sound of helicopter rotors from the distance.Suddenly all of his hopes died. The helicopter was now 20 feet up in the air and preparing to take off. 

"NO!" Leon screamed. "IM DOWN HERE! DON'T LEAVE YET!" Unfortunately, whether he could be heard or not, he would never know because at that point the helicopter began to zoom out into the distance. 

"AAARGHHHH!" Leon screamed as he plopped to the, still windy, ground. It was all over. He knew he couldn't make it to cover in his condition. He just hoped that Sherry would find Claire and that together, they would be able to finally end the nightmare that had plagued them. Suddenly there was a sharp clicking noise to his left. Leon closed his eyes in anticipation of what would come next. 

"They left ya huh?" Came the scraggly voice of his assailant. "Too bad kid, you were damn good but as they say, all good things must come to an end."

Leon clinched his fists, waiting for the shot that would end his life. Then it came. 

****

BLAM

Oddly enough, however, it did not end his life and Leon was shocked beyond belief upon the sight that greeted him when he opened his eyes. His assailant was now lying dead on his face. He swung his head back the other way and noticed the presence of a woman standing in the distance with her gun smoking. She was about medium height and she was wearing a leather jacket and trousers. Her shirt was white and slightly snug under her jacket. And a headband was tied securely around her forehead.

"Who are you?" Leon asked.

The woman gave him a warm smile in response. "Your Leon S. Kennedy, right? A friend of mine gave me your location and told me you may be needing some backup. My Names Rebbecca Chambers. I'm a friend of Chris Redfield. 

Well that's another chapter of my Resident evil fanfic. I hope you all like it! Oh yeah by the way, if your wondering where these places are in reference to these parks I was talking about in the story, I made them up. I suck at geography and all that so instead of giving actual locations I just make them up. I know I know, it's sad but it's the best I can do at this time. Well as always thanks for reading and please review!

-Cordis 


	3. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All resident evil characters, places, and things all belong to capcom and other involved companies. I own none of them, this fanfic is purely for fun and the enjoyment of others.

****

RESIDENT EVIL: THE ROAD TO DESTINY

CHAPTER 3

Chris Redfield stopped in his tracks as he passed by the room he had formally put his sister in. The door was slightly ajar and the sounds of silent weeping trailed out of it. Slowly, Chris walked into the room. 

Claire's back was to him and her face was buried in her hands. Chris's heart filled with sympathy for his anguished sister. 

"Claire?" 

Her face immediately shot up at the sound of her brother's voice. She was slightly embarrassed that her brother had caught her in such a vulnerable state and she swiftly began to wipe her eyes free of her flowing tears. 

Chris gave his sister a moment to orient herself. "I must seem like a total wimp huh?" She said with a sniff after wiping her tears away. "The big bad Claire who survived the Raccoon city disaster is reduced to crying like a little baby. Pretty pathetic huh big brother?" Her voice was horse with pent up emotion and her throat was raw from all the crying she had done. 

Instead of giving her a response, Chris simply sat at the edge of Claire's bed and embraced his sister in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his chest as he rocked her back in forth. It reminded him of when they were little and his sister would wake up from a bad dream about a terrifying monster. After promising that he would make sure the monster wouldn't bother her again, Chris would rock his sister back to sleep. A small smile played at the edge of Chris lip as he recalled this fond childhood memory.

"H- he told me that he loved me." Claire said, after getting her sobbing under control. 

Chris simply nodded. "I'm sorry Claire."

"He was such a great guy. He was so lonely Chris. He needed support and I think we found solace in each other's company." Claire heaved a shuddering sigh before continuing. "Why did he have to die…"

"I honestly don't know Claire." Chris replied silently. "But as long as you keep his memory alive in your heart, he'll always be with you." Chris gathered his thoughts, planning out how he was going to say his following words. "I, … I lost a lot of good friends to Umbrella also Claire. Good men that didn't deserve to die in a horrible place like that; Kennith, Forest, Joseph, Richard, all of them. It was a nightmare Claire. To see the very friends you held dear and were willing to trust your life to, lying dead before your feet after only a few hours of separation. It was a disgrace to their memory and a disgrace to the very value of human life."

Claire looked up and saw the deep pain in her brother's eyes as he recalled the painful memories of the Spencer estate. She wanted to comfort him. Being in a city full of Zombies was horrible and it was an experience she wouldn't want to relive ever again in her life however there was no telling what horrors Chris had personally seen in his stay at the mansion. 

"Chris?… When will this nightmare ever end?"

"I honestly don't know Claire. But if I can, I want it to end soon. Very soon."

Claire slowly nodded her head in response. She knew her brother. Whenever he had that look, he was dead set on his objective. Claire knew her brother was sort of a hot head; that's how he got booted out of the air force after all. Yet at the same time, Chris could be amazingly serious and cold too. Claire found the change to be unreal sometimes yet at the same time she found that she admired him more for it. Chris could look at life in multiple ways and shift his personality accordingly, depending on the situation. She was proud to have a brother who could show compassion when he needed to and at the same time, exhibit an attitude of determination and righteous indignation as well. _'That's my brother.' _She thought to herself as a warm smile crept to her face. It was good to be reunited with her sibling again. Together, she felt they could take on the world. 

Suddenly, their quiet solace was shattered by the sounds of roaring helicopter propellers. "What's that?" Claire asked with a hint of panic in her voice. "Have they found us already?"

Chris simply grinned down at his little sister. "Well, yes and no."

"Huh? What are you talking about Chris? Have your muscles gone to your head again, we gotta get out of here!" Claire was clearly flustered at Chris reaction to the whole ordeal but she found it refreshing to engage in a yelling fit with him. It reminded her of old times and it lessened the pain of her recent loss. 

Chris chuckled at her remark, then slowly walked towards the entrance of the safe house. "Come on Claire, just follow me."

Claire gritted her teeth and held back a biting response. She hated it when he kept secrets from her. Grudgingly, she slowly followed him out the door and into the windy field as the helicopter made its landing.

Finally, as the propellers died down, Claire made out the forms of three figures exiting from the helicopter. The two taller figures obviously knew Chris, as they embraced him on sight. The other seemed to stare in the distance until her eyes glanced in Claire's direction. At the sight of the third figure, Claire's breath caught in her throat and all of her previous pain momentarily died away only to be replaced by unbinding happiness. "Sherry?!?"

"CLAIRE!"

****

Barry Burton leaned back in his chair as he puffed on a fresh Cuban cigar. "Your late." He said as the door across from him creaked open. The building He was in was an abandoned warehouse, once used as a S.T.A.R.S weapons department. After his first three years of service with the stars, the building had been closed down and was scheduled to reopen as simply a training facility. However, that modification plan was never carried out.

Standing at the doorway, Jill dropped her bags and immediately embraced the friend who had saved her life countless times in the Spencer estate. "Oh Barry! It's so good to see you again!"

Barry chuckled mildly. "It's been too long Jill. So I see you've picked up a stray along the way."

Jill's face suddenly became crimson red with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. Barry this is Carlos. He helped me get out of Raccoon City before Umbrella detonated it. Carlos this is Barry, my S.T.A.R.S teammate and very good friend."

Carlos frowned slightly, but covered it up with a warm handshake just as quick. _'So that's all I am to you huh Jill? Just a guy who helped you out of the city?' _He quickly erased these thoughts from his mind, as they wouldn't be of any use to him in the long run. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Burton. I heard a lot about you."

"Heh heh in that case, believe only half of it. My friends tend to exaggerate my exploits sometimes."

"Ha! Same old Barry I see!" For the first time in months, Jill was beginning to feel the tension ease from her shoulders. She had not realized how much she had missed her companions. "So Barry, how's the family? Are they well?"

"Yes they are, thanks. I regret having to leave them again but I just couldn't live with myself, knowing that I did nothing, while my closest friends fought a life or death struggle with an organization bent of biological genocide."

"Barry, we all know you're a hero. You don't have to prove that to anyone."

"Nor am I trying to be Jill. I'm sure we all have the understanding that in these trying times, there's no place for hero's, only survivors. And I intend to be one of those survivors Jill."

The young woman smiled warmly at this last comment. "Well if that's the way your gonna phrase it then count me in as one of the survivors too. Because I'll be damned if I let Umbrella take anything else from me."

"Uh, Compadres? I hate to break up the lovely reunion and all but unless you're expecting company, I think we got trouble." 

Without another word, Carlos withdrew his 9mm handgun and released the safety lock. However, Barry pulled him back before he could train his gun on the unsuspecting intruders. 

"Hold your horses… Carlos was it? Anyway, these aren't intruders. Far from it actually."

"Yeah listen to the old man!" Came a deep, unfamiliar voice in the distance. "Because, like he said, we aren't intruders. Think of us more as … reinforcements."

Barry began to laugh immediately. 

"Why you old bloodhound! Who are you calling an old man?" He said as he embraced the speaker in a bear hug. The man returned his hug with equal intensity. 

"Who are you calling an 'old' bloodhound?" He countered. They both began to laugh even harder as they patted each other on the backs. 

Carlos ran a nervous hand through his thick main of brown hair before finally turning towards his companion. "Jill, would you mind telling me what's going on?"

Jill held back a smile as she saw the troubling effect this meeting was having on her mercenary friend. "Carlos, this is Derrick Mathy. He's an old friend of Barry's. They used to serve together in S.T.A.R.S back when Berry was still a raw recruit. As things went, Barry and Derrick had preformed numerous outstanding feats, which eventually lead to their separation. Derrick was transferred to Europe, while Barry got stationed over to Raccoon City. Derrick, This is Carlos Oliviera. He's a very good friend who helped me escape from Raccoon right before it burned to the ground."

"It's nice to meet you." Carlos said as he sized up the huge man standing before him. Derrick easily stood up to a height of 6'5. His thick muscles shaped his dark brown skin so that he had a body builder appearance similar, if not equal, to Barry's own muscular physic. His head was bald yet his beard was thick and sported a few hints of gray although he'd never admit such a claim. The man was dressed in loose fitting, tan khakis and a white tee shirt that wrapped snuggly around his upper body. 

"Well Mr. Oliviera, it's an honor to meet you as well. So you're the brave knight who rescued Jill from her torment huh? I' guess that means I'll be hearing more about you and your 'adventures' with Jill." 

Derrick and Barry both laughed at this, however Jill and Carlos flushed with embarrassment. 

Behind his mask of amusement, Barry frowned inwardly at Jill's reaction. _'I guess she must have gotten over Chris. But then how will she react when she see's him again.' _Barry roughly shook off these prying feelings as he resolved that they were none of his business.

"So Derrick, where you able to round up anymore volunteers?" Barry asked, changing the subject. 

Derrick caught on immediately and followed suit. "As a matter of fact I have. Of course, as you know my brother came along. Then there's also Frank Belivan, and Walter Risakes. They're all in the van bringing out the supplies right now. Then there's also the two contacts Chris has made."

Jill immediately stiffened at the sound of Chris name in the conversation. "Derrick you … you know where Chris is?"

Derrick gave her and odd look then laughed heartily. "Of course! He's the one who got this whole thing in motion."

"It's true." Barry concurred. "Chris is very much alive. He sent me a message through email about a week ago. He has just found startling news concerning the Umbrella agency as well as another organization. The message was sketchy at best but basically wanted us to know that he found his sister and is reunited with her and now he wants the rest of us to meet up with him at his secret safehouse hidden deep in European territory."

Jill didn't know what to think. It almost seemed unreal that after such a long time, Chris would soon be in her life again. She had never believed him dead, even after she found evidence of his alleged death at his safehouse in London two months ago. She had found his knife there and a pile of blood. The rest of the place was a mess and signs of a struggle were clearly evident. Yet even though she believed he still lived, she had given up hope of ever seeing him again. Now that recent evidence had proved her wrong, she couldn't help thinking about what she would say to him when she saw him again. Many things had changed. 'She' had changed. _'Chris, will you forgive me?'_ Suddenly a new voice broke her out of her reverie. 

"JILL! OH MY GOSH ITS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

Jill was momentarily stunned as Rebecca Chambers swiftly embraced her in a tight hug. "Jeez, I've missed you so much!" Rebecca said with her voice slightly muffled by the material of Jill's jacket. 

"R – Rebecca? Is that you?" Jill asked, still a bit flustered. 

"My goodness, It's been too long! It's good to see you again."

Apparently, as Jill scanned the room out of the corner of her eye, she wasn't the only one thourally shocked by Rebecca's dramatic entrance. 

Derrick had his hand on his hip, dangerously close to pulling out his handgun. Carlos eyes were still widened in shock. The only one, not surprised by Rebecca's entrance was Barry. Instead he simply wore a scowl of disapproval. 

"Rebecca, how many times do I have to tell you? Make your presence known before you do anything drastic like that. Had we all not caught ourselves, you would be lying dead in a pool of blood right now."

"I'm sorry Barry. It's just that I haven't seen Jill in a long time and I guess I got overexcited at seeing her again." 

Barry nodded his head sagely. "And I see you brought along a friend as well?"

Rebecca's face flushed crimson. "Oh I'm so sorry! I totally forgot in all the commotion. Hey Leon it's ok to come into the light! We're all friends here!"

Leon grudgingly submitted to Rebecca's wishes as he slowly came out of the shadows. His torso was wrapped in medical cloth and he seemed to favor his left side as he walked with a limp. His right shoulder also had a slight bandage but otherwise he seemed ok.

Leon this is Barry, a good friend of Chris Redfield's and he's also the one who sent me to find you. Barry, this is Leon, as you already know. I found him wounded and about to get a lobotomy by an Umbrella goon. Don't worry though, cause I wasted him."

Barry nodded his head in gratitude. Leon paused for a moment then spoke. "Listen Mr. Burton, I want to thank you for all your help but what about Sherry? Did she make it out ok?"

Barry immediately knew who Leon was talking about. "Don't worry Leon, Sherry's in good hands now. She's with Claire and Chris as we speak."

Leon breathed a sigh of relief and nodded his head towards Barry in thanks. 

Just then, Derrick's brother, James Mathy, entered the room with Frank Belivan and Walter Risakes in tow. They were all carrying three heavy bags each. Although, not as built as his elder brother, James Mathy was just as tall and well muscled. His hair was short chopped and his attire was simply a pair of standard issue S.T.A.R.S pants together with a dark green sleeveless tee shirt. Frank was a few inches shorter then James and just as built. He had raven black hair, which was long and tied back into a ponytail. He wore faded blue jeans and a silky blue dress shirt. Walter was the shortest of the three with brown hair and wore an outfit consisting of S.T.A.R.S issue pants and a black muscle tee shirt. 

"Well now that we're all together, I suggest we get started." Barry said as he sorted through their supplies. "First we make preparations, then we pack our gear, and after that we are off to Europe to meet up with Chris. Its time we stopped dancing around the bush with this whole mess. It's time we finally teach Umbrella a lesson and take those bastards down." 

Well how do you like it? It's taking me a while but I think I have the whole thing figured out with where I'm gonna take this story. As always thanks for reading! 

-Cordis


	4. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Resident Evil characters, places and things all belong to Capcom and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY

"ETA IN 5 MINUTES PEOPLE." 

Jill sighed after hearing the voice of Barry over the intercom. Only 5 more minutes until they reached the others. Only 5 more minutes until they reached Chris. Jill had become more and more troubled by the idea of seeing Chris. After such a long time, she wasn't sure how she should act. She was sure she still had strong feelings for Carlos, and what they did all those months ago still seemed fresh in her mind. She just didn't know where to turn anymore. She had been wrestling with the whole issue throughout the whole plane ride and was now frustrated that she still had not come to a decent conclusion regarding the issue. 

She glanced over at Carlos but immediately turned her eyes the other way. He was staring straight at her. _'Does it look like I'm as nervous as I truly am?'_ She thought to herself. Carlos was always a huge support to Jill. First in Raccoon City, and then on. He had always consoled her and treated her like an angel. Chris was similar to that yet he let her walk on her own two feet most of the time. He would never do anything that hinted at a romance between the two. However the option had always been there and vaugely enough, that had been more then sufficient for the two partners. They both had feelings for the other and they each, to some extent, knew how the other was feeling but they never truly explored those feelings. Chris never made Jill feel they way Carlos has. Chris could be helpful and sweet and an all around great guy as a friend but Carlos had been more then that. Carlos had been someone who could protect her. Someone who could understand her feelings and relate them with his own. Carlos reached out to Jill on a more emotional level, one that Chris would never go for. Jill slowly closed her eyes. The decision was obvious. Now the hard part was that she was back to square one again. How should she react to Chris?

"Jill? You ok?" Carlos asked softly. 

He was sitting across from her on the helicopter they were in. Beside him, was Barry who faced off with Derrick. Then, next to him was James who sat across from Risakes and next to him was Belivan.

"I'm fine!" Jill lied. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Carlos gave her an unbelieving look. "Jill don't play dumb with me ok. Look, ever since your friend Barry mentioned that guy Chris, you've been acting strange. Is something going on between you two?"

"Why are you so interested in finding out?" Jill argued in defense. 

" Jill, I don't want to fight. I just want to know if you've still got feelings for this guy. If you do… I can respect that… I guess I'll understand and leave you two alone."

Jill looked down. She definitely didn't want to tell Carlos how she was feeling. Not now, when she didn't understand it herself. She sighed audibly. "Look Carlos, nothings going on between us. We're just really good friends. That's all." _'Well at least that wasn't a total lie.' _Jill thought to herself.

Carlos gave her another disapproving look. "Jill I don't –"

Carlos words were cut off by the loud alarms going off inside the chopper. Soon following, Barry's voice came to life over the intercom. "OK PEOPLE, WE'RE MAKING OUR FINAL STOP. GET YOUR GEAR TOGETHER AND PERPARE TO DEPART."

Carlos grit his teeth at the interruption and gave Jill one last look. Jill rested her hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. 

"Look Carlos, now's not the time to have this discussion. We'll talk more about it later ok?"

Without responding, Carlos just stood up and began heading towards one of the entrances. Jill knew he was upset and she hated herself for it. She should have told him the truth, but she wasn't sure if she knew the truth herself. Just then, James Mathy whipped the door open and walking towards them from the distance was Chris.

****

Chris walked towards the helicopter with uncertainty. _'What will she be like after all this time?' _he asked himself mentally. He knew he still loved Jill. That was no question. But when they had parted, it was definitely not on the best of terms. On top of that, it was a long time ago. Many things have happened since then. He had come to terms with himself and now he wasn't the same man Jill remembered in Raccoon. Thoughts that she had found someone else filled his mind. It wasn't hard to believe. Jill was an incredibly attractive, ingenious, and talented woman. Any man would fall head over heels for someone like her. 

Even still, his eyes twitched slightly when he saw them all depart. Jill was walking very close to a man with shoulder length, brown hair. _'I shouldn't be surprised.'_ Chris thought to himself. _'Its not like she was going to wait for me forever. Besides, maybe it's better this way…'_

Jill's heart was thundering as she approached Chris. Something about him looked different. He looked more confident and sure of himself. He seemed like he was in complete harmony with himself and his surroundings. However, at the sight of that familiar boyish gleam in his eyes and the fashionable grin on his face, Jill couldn't stop herself from running up to him and embracing her partner in a hug. 

"Chris!"

Chris hugged Jill back, relishing the moment. He saw out of the corner of his eye how the man with brown hair was looking at him. Had he been the same old Chris, a look like that would have led to a sure fight. However, now Chris understood by that look that the brown haired guy and Jill had something going on and he made a silent promise to himself not to destroy her happiness. 

After a moment the two partners broke away from their hug and looked at each other. 

"It's great to see you again Jill!" Chris said with a smile.

"Likewise Chris. Some people tried to make it seem like you were dead but I just couldn't believe it. I just knew you wouldn't be dead."

Chris smiled. However, before he could say anything else, a firm hand clapped his shoulder. 

"Barry!"

"Chris! Long time no see buddy! As you can see, I got the email!"

The two men laughed and hugged one another. The processions of reunions drawled on and in turn, each person had their reunion with their old friend Chris. Rebecca nearly jumped on him in glee after seeing her old partner from the Spencer Estate. Finally, Claire came towards them from the distance with Sherry following close by. 

Chris walked over to his sister and led her to the group. "Everyone, this is Claire. My sister."

Claire smiled, then her eyes widened as something caught her eyes. "L- Leon?!" 

"LEON!" Sherry screamed then rushed for the man! 

Leon laughed and embraced the young, 13 year old girl who thought he had died not too long ago. "Claire, Sherry, It's great to see you both are alright."

Claire hugged Leon and he returned the favor. Chris frowned slightly at first then smiled. _'It looks like my sister did find some one to comfort her in my absence.'_ Chris shifted as he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

"The names Carlos Oliviera. I don't believe we've met."

"Chris Redfield." He held his hand out to him. Although Chris respected what Carlos and Jill had, it didn't mean he had to be all happy happy with him. Chris face became serious. 

"Everyone, I'm glad you could all come. I've found information regarding the plans of Umbrella that could be most useful. Please follow me." With that, he turned then headed towards the safehouse with everyone else somewhat awkwardly trailing behind. 

****

::::::::: To Be Continued ::::::::::

**__**

Authors note: Hello again! Thanks for reading everyone. I want to deeply apologize for not updating sooner but life's been a bit hectic for me as of late. Anyway I promise that I will update a lot more frequently from now on. Sorry about the shortness of this chapter but it seemed like the best place to end at. Anyway, Hopefully things will heat up a lot more soon. Once again, thanks for reading and please review! J

-Cordis


	5. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Resident evil, characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY

CHAPTER 5

Chris Redfeild looked around at all the surrounding faces trained on him. He knew the news he was about to deliver would shock them all. He didn't want to have to burden his friends with any more hardships however if he didn't tell them then he would only be causing more harm in the long run. Chris slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

They where all situated in the safehouse Chris had set up in an isolated forest located in the southern most part of Europe. Now, sitting in the Main Hall of that safehouse everyone's attention was drawn to him. He scanned every face in the room and saw that everyone was willing to give their full support except for Carlos who only gave him frowns whenever possible. Chris cleared his throat.

"Ok to start this off, I just want to make sure everyone's off on the same foot. Now I'm sure you all know that Umbrella's been going over some variations of the T virus since the outbreak at Spencer Estate."

"As far as I'm aware, there's only been two variations so far haven't there?" Jill asked.

Chris shook his head. "Not quite Jill. So far Umbrella's constructed the T and G virus. Now we all know the T virus acts as a viral agent designed to target living flesh and to slowly decompose it but at the same time, keep the body active, rendering the Subject lifeless but still mobile enough to carry out certain basic functions; walking, moaning, eating etc. The G virus on the other hand has a similar function of distorting the body but it has an ability to keep the subjects consciousness from dying. The subject gets to keep his or her sentient cognitive abilities however after extensive study of this we are aware that even then the 'true person' who is that subject, dies. All that is left is an organism who runs on nothing more then the natural instinct to survive and multiply. They also have the ability to Revitalize cellular functions. Much like a virus itself."

Claire and Leon traded concerned looks towards one another and regarded Sherry with concern. Fortunately, the young girl was sleeping at this time. They both knew her father was the very victim of that very same virus. They just both hoped Sherry wouldn't realize the connection yet. 

Chris continued. "Suffice to say, It is evident that Umbrella is moving up in their experiments. Think about it. Do any of you see where this is heading?"

"Of course!" Barry shot up from his seat almost screaming. Everyone trained their eyes on him expectantly. In return Barry threw his arms out in anxiety. "Don't you all get it? Why would Umbrella need to further their studies after going so far as creating the Tyrant? That alone is enough to fuel a full scale war and be victorious. No, Umbrella has higher aspirations. They're trying to create actual sentient beings!"

Everyone gasped visibly. Chris nodded and grabbed everyone's attention once more. "Exactly. Umbrella's trying to play god with human life. An act so heinous we can't just stand here and let them do it. However, that's not the full story. There's more you all should know. Umbrella's not the only company in the market who's trying to produce synthetic human beings. In my time investigating the workings of Umbrella, I found out some pretty interesting things. Everything starts back to the lifetime of Veronica Ashford."

"Veronica?" Jill asked in a confused voice. "Who's that?"

"Veronica was the head of her family line. She was looked upon highly by her family and also many others because of her quick mind, beauty and cunning. She was quite literally a tactical genius in everything that she did. According to the records Umbrella left behind, during her lifetime she was involved in all kinds of military secrets and conspiracies. She singly handedly led the Ashford family to glory as she raised a small militia and, after a few well-placed decisions and alliances, was able to fortify that militia into a pretty large army. Of course that army was disguised under the cover of a code named company. Nobody truly realized how dangerous she was until she finally passed away. In the prime of her life she grew very ill through a strange virus and required medical attention that was apparently non-existent. During her lifetime, her one main aspiration was to recreate the world in her own image; a plan that was surprisingly close to being realized until her sudden death. Aside from being smart in tactics and strategies, she was also a very brilliant scientist and focused her studies on biological structures and components. From what I can gather, she developed some kind of component that could control human thought processes and give regular human's abnormal abilities; extended brain capacities, enhanced strength, stuff like that."

"Telepathy?" James asked in disbelief. "But… that's not possible is it?"

Chris shrugged. "Apparently she made the impossible, possible. She also preformed minor studies in the research of maintaining youth. This main strand of research was where the components of the "T" virus where first derived from. Yet no one could perfect any of her research. Her brilliance was abnormal. Thus, all in all, the focal point of all her research followed her to the grave." 

Jill nodded slowly, now totally understanding what Chris was getting at. "Now I see what you're saying! So Umbrella is performing all of these experiments just as studies so they can one day resurrect the body of the deceased Veronica Ashford?" 

Chris shook his head slowly. "Not quite." He messaged his temples as he tried to explain the current events. 

"In the time of Veronica's lifetime, only two main powers knew of her secrets. One was, of course, her family and the other was an organization that was aiding her in her research. That organization supposedly died off 10 years after she passed away. After a few generations passed, the Ashford family tired diligently to revive their great relative and restore honor and glory to their, once proud, family name. They employed the services of one particularly wealthy man in conducting their research. A certain Mr. Adam Spencer. Spencer was impressed by the magnitude of their research and decided to take it to higher levels. He revealed the Ashford secrets to another man by the name of William Umbrelant. At that time, Umberlant was head of a science pharmaceutical company working on geno-structures. His firm had a lot of clout within almost everything. Spencer was greedy and wished to gain more power by combining the Ashford science with his own wealth and that of Umberlant's Corporation to create his own power and establish a place for himself in the world. William had similar goals and it was because of that similarity that conflict soon evolved. The Ashford family found out about Spencer's betrayal but could do nothing because of his backing with the powerful Umbrella Corporation. Soon after, Spencer set up his own testing facility in a Mansion he built for himself just outside of Raccoon City. To his misfortune, in severing his ties with the Ashford family, Umbrella had no more use for him. It is speculated that Spencer was the first to be conformed into one of the zombies but no factual information exists to validate that claim. Anyway, from there, Umbrella began their own research, deriving from the little knowledge Spencer was able to steal from the Ashfords. Thus was the origin of the "T" virus and all of its derivatives. However, what Umbrella wasn't expecting was that the long dead science organization that helped in the research of Veronica herself, has now reasserted itself."

"What?" Barry was livid by this time. "So now there's another organization we have to deal with besides Umbrella!?"

Chris nodded his head grimly. "But that's not all. This new science organization, calling itself ARMERAX, has more knowledge and studies of the original viral strands then Umbrella could ever hope to imagine. Apparently they got wind of Umbrella's secret testing projects and have decided to resume their research. They want to resurrect the dead Veronica and pick up on the dream she left behind in her death."

Everyone in the room was now shocked beyond belief. Chris swallowed the lump in his throat and continued. 

"Umbrella wanted to amass Biological soldiers who could obey any orders and take massive punishment. They didn't want the mindless killing machines they had perfected in creating so far. Once they accomplished that goal, they could sell them off to military companies and control everything from the shadows. That's where their research was heading. Now that the Armerax Corporation has reappeared Umbrella now wants to salvage their idea by unleashing viral bio-gas across the globe contaminating every man woman and child. Of course they hold the antidote. Once the governments of the wold pay them their ransom, they will have enough power and authority to handle the Armerax Corporation easily and still gain the status they originally set out to obtain."

"Oh my god." Jill said in a shocked whisper. Barry was equally shocked but couldn't get any words out through his gaping mouth. Chris closed his eyes and massaged his temples once more.

"I know this is shocking to you all but I brought you all here because of that reason. Due to the shortage of time, Umbrella has isolated their main base to one specific location, Northern Ireland. That's the main base where they tend to flip the switch setting off the poisonous gases across the world. That's why I want you all to help me in taking down that facility. That's Umbrella's stronghold. If we take that place down, we can effectively destroy Umbrella all together."

"What about the separate bases they have set up for setting off their toxins? Shouldn't we be worrying about those too?" Barry asked, regaining his voice once again.

"Don't worry about those. Those facilities are all controlled directly from Umbrella's main base. They won't do anything so nuclear unless the switch is pushed directly from there. Once we take out their main base, as a matter of priority, we can then take out their secondary bases to ensure the virus doesn't leak out or anything of that matter."

"And what about this other organization? Scott Aiken asked. "Aren't they just as big a threat as Umbrella? If not bigger?"

Chris nodded sagely. "Yes they are a very big threat but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, Umbrella is the greater of the two evils and we have to take them down first. Once Umbrella is out of the picture, we'll have plenty of time to wipe out Armerax."

James Mathy frowned and began rubbing his eyelids in frustration. "And how the hell do you propose that the 12 of us rush into a whole fu#king stronghold and wipe them out? Now I may seem vain but this is one hell of a feat you're talking about here."

"That's just it!" Chris answered enthusiastically. "No one would expect a small independent groups of rebels to storm into a powerful stronghold like Umbrella. Besides, they don't even know that we know the location of their facility yet! Umbrella no longer has any time to worry about the S.T.A.R.'s anymore. They don't care if we go public since their going to be releasing the toxin's anyway. Right now their main concern in the Armerax Corporation. We can use this to our advantage and gain the upper hand."

"But still…" Derrick Mathy interjected. "It's still a big risk… Breaking into Umbrella's stronghold. They've got to be loaded with security camera's and the sort."

"And that's exactly why this mission needs to entail the utmost stealth involved! I was able to save the layouts of their facility on disc when I infiltrated one of their London lab facilities. We'll plot out infiltration strategy from there."

Barry said nothing but listened wearily. _'This is all too easy.'_ He thought morbidly. _'I hope Chris isn't rushing things too much with this. But still… There's no time left. If Umbrella is planning something this big, every man woman and child on this earth are in danger and it seems the only one's who can save them are us. This is a risk we have no choice but to take.'_

Sitting on the other side of the table, Jill Valentine was having similarly troubling thoughts. _'Can we really succeed against the entire Umbrella facility?' _Thousands of questions ran through her head all at once. This was definitely a very severe situation.

Chris looked around at everyone's brooding silence. He really hated to be the barer of such bad news but it couldn't be helped. Right now he needed his friends help more then ever. 

Suddenly Carlos stood up abruptly. "I got a question!" He stated boldly. 

Chris trained his eyes on the former Mercenary but said nothing. That was the Closest Carlos could get to a response from Chris. However the man was unheeded.

"How is it that you know so much? You come around calling us all and telling us to meet you for this big ass event that's coming up but you sure as hell know a lot about what's really going on behind the scenes!"

Chris sighed heavily, catching on to what the young man meant by his accusation. Apparently so did Jill, as she too rose from her seat and glared daggers at Carlos. 

"How dare you! Carlos are you insinuating that Chris is a traitor?"

Carlos matched her glare head on. "I ain't insinuating nothing! I'm merely stating what's obviously staring me right in the face!"

Barry was now livid with anger and was fast on his feet. "Listen here you little $hit, who the hell do you think you are to accuse someone you don't even know of something so heinous? Chris would never do anything like that!"

Chis shook his head then stepped forward. "Look, I appreciate the support everyone but Carlos does have a point. I do know a lot about Umbrella and their workings. I did a lot of infiltration and uncovered a hell of a lot of mysteries. And because of that, Umbrella wants me dead." 

Chris walked over to a nearby computer and typed in a random police code which he used back when he was a member of S.T.A.R.S working with the RPD. As soon as the screen popped up he typed in a few other commands and suddenly a new image appeared. Everyone in the room except for Carlos gasped. On the screen was a Photo of Chris Redfield with a 'Most Wanted' sign over him. 

"This posting is on every police computer in America and I'm quite sure its on the one's in London and Europe as well."

Rebecca turned towards Chris in shock. "But I thought you said that Umbrella couldn't worry about the S.T.A.R.S anymore? Why are they still haunting you?"

"Umbrella somehow knows about me finding out their secrets and so they haven't hid the fact that they want me out of the picture. If I were to expose their plots now, even though its pretty obvious no one would probably believe me, it's still too much of a security risk to take. So, taking me out is a top priority for them; at least until they unleash their toxins. That's why I've been on a pretty low key for a while. I really didn't want to get the rest of you involved on this but…"

Barry understood immediately and nodded wisely. "It's too late for that now Chris. Umbrella has gone too far. You did the right thing contacting us."

"Yeah!" Rebbecca added. "We can take down Umbrella, no problem! Right Claire?"

Claire nodded her encouragement and soon after, everyone voiced their confidence in this new mission. Chris nodded proudly. 

"Thank you all for your support. If we do this right, I'm sure we can all make it out in one piece."

Jill watched Chris quietly. He had truly changed indeed. He still had his boyish habits about him. She could tell by some of the reactions me made during his lecture but still. There was a more penetrating seriousness about him which she never saw before. Perhaps it was because of the stress of this new situation but it was almost as if he bore the weight of much sorrow in the past four months they were apart. She felt sorry for him that he had to take on this entire role alone. Out of friendship and emotions she told herself she no longer felt, she desperately wished she could reach out to him and comfort him, to ease away some to the pain he was going through inside. _'Oh Chris…'_

She suddenly felt a rough hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw that Carlos was looking at her with a sympathetic look. "Jill…I'm sorry about… you know… not trusting Chris and all that. I didn't mean to go off the way I did but…"

Jill sighed heavily and cupped Carlos hand in hers. "It's ok Carlos. Believe it or not, I know what you're going through. We're all scared and worried about what's to come. None of us could have seen this coming from Umbrella."

Carlos swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded slowly. "Yeah… I guess you're right. It's just… Damnit everything's all screwed up! I don't know what to think anymore. Ya know only a few months ago, I thought nothing of Umbrella except that they were another company hiring mercenaries to do their dirty work. And now…"

Jill tenderly caressed Carlos face. "I know." She replied quietly. "It's hard to cope with something like this. The others and I were going through the same trauma after our adventures in the Spencer Estate. We just have to trust each other."

Carlos slowly nodded his head. He looked at Jill passionately, lost in her beautiful brown eyes. Every time he looked at her he felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. He never felt this way before and in some ways it scared him. He realized long ago that he was in love with her and tried to tell her as much two months ago but she wouldn't listen. He fervently hoped she would listen this time. He closed his eyes softly trying to think of the words. "Jill…I…"

Jill slowly put a single finger on his lips. "Shhh… Don't say it Carlos… Now… isn't the time for this kind of thing."

"But-"

"Shh.." Jill cut him off again. "I promise, we'll talk later."

Carlos settled for a nod and took a few faltering steps back, giving her enough room to walk off and talk with Barry. Carlos watched after her for a moment in insecurity. He didn't know what he would do if he ever lost her in his life.

Chris looked towards all of his friends with deep sympathy in his eyes. _'Face it Chris. They all had lives before this and the fact that you're starting this mission now could mean that they may never make it back. You'll have to live with the fact that you took away their happiness.'_

Chris lowered his eyes in silence then walked into the back room. One soft sentence escaped his lips as he closed the door behind him, leaving everyone else still talking over the information he had just revealed. 

"I'm sorry…"

::::::::::To Be Contined::::::::

**__**

Authors note: _Thanks for reading everyone. I hope this chapter didn't take too long. Anyway the plot should get better from here on out. Thanks for reading!_


	6. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Resident Evil characters, places and things all belong to CapCom and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY

CHAPTER 6

Everything was dark. Chris felt his breath coming is abrupt gasps as he continued walking cautiously town the dark corridor. He was wearing his standard issue stars combat garb. Along with that, he also carried a magnum, a shotgun and a M16 for protection. He had no idea how he got into this dark area. Nothing made any sense yet he walked on from sheer curiosity. Something compelled him to move on. He was currently gripping his magnum tightly in his sweaty hands. 

He heard the loud familiar groan of zombies up ahead. Fear gripped his heart like nothing he had ever experienced before. Even on his worst mission's he had never been this scared and fearful for his life. Chris scoffed in scorn, silently berating himself. He was not acting like his usual self. He once again began walking forward, carefully steadying his magnum in his nervous hands. Suddenly the hallway came to an end and he was now standing in front of a very large door. The ornate designs and craftsmanship were fashioned in a form predating it all the way back to the Romantic Era. Once again the fear gripped his heart yet he took a deep breath and opened the hallway doors anyway. Immediately upon entering, he was engulfed in a sea of zombies, lickers, hunters, and all other biological creations the Umbrella Corporation had to offer. He fought valiantly, firing right and left but it was to no avail. Soon, he was out of ammunition and in no time at all the monsters were upon him. 

****

"NOOOOOOOO!" Chris screamed as he shot out of bed in an anxious panic. He was sweating profusely. He slowly brought his shaking hand to his face, wiping away the sweat from his brow. He closed his eyes and let a trembling sigh escape his lips. 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Chris jumped in slight alarm at the sudden knocking at his room door. He grumbled in frustration at his suddenly edgy behavior. He sank his head completely in his hands letting out yet another sigh. _'You've got to get a hold of yourself, Chris.'_ He told himself mentally. The knocking came again. 

"Come in." He replied in a dry voice without removing his head from his hands.

Jill walked in wearily. "Chris?" She asked gently. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up…"

Chris still hadn't moved since Jill entered. "No… Don't worry about it Jill. I was awake already."

"Chris? Are you alright?" She took a tentative step towards him. 

At the sound of her anxious voice, Chris finally raised his head once more to regard her. "Yeah, I'm great, don't worry about it." He said reassuringly. "Guess I just have a lot of stress on my mind, that's all."

Jill glanced at him with an unbelieving look. "Chris, you're lying to me. What's wrong?"

Chris didn't answer. He simply continued to stare out into space.

"Chis! Talk to me damnit! We've been partners for nearly 4 years! You can trust me can't you?"

"Yeah." Chris complied softly. "It's not you Jill, it's just…"

"…What is it?" She urged gently.

"… I don't know. I'm just getting these premonitions…"

Jill was shocked. "Chris… What are you saying… Are you trying to say you don't think we can complete this mission?"

Chris shook his head lazily. "No that's not what I meant. I have the utmost confidence in our success. It's just… I'm tired Jill. After all these months of fighting, all these life or death situations…I'm tired."

Jill was appalled. Her eyes widened in shock as she stood there staring straight at him with disbelieving eyes. "I can't believe I'm hearing this!"

Chris gazed up at her nonchalantly. "Believe it."

"So you're just giving up? Is that it Chris? You know I never would have expected to hear these words coming out of your mouth! I thought you were tougher then this! You really disappoint me you know that?"

Much to her chagrin, Chris simply chuckled in spite of her raving. This made her even more angry. "And so now it's funny? What's wrong with you Chris?"

Chris suddenly brought his laughing to an abrupt stop and stared directly into her eyes with penetrating seriousness. "Jill believe me when I tell you I will never give up. Not while there are people out there who still need my help. I will die before I let Umbrella or Armerax or any other company develop the original viral strand and pollute the human race with it. I will fight for my life to make sure that peace is realized and put this nonsense to an end!" He suddenly softened his expression once more and trained his eyes towards the carpet. "I was merely stating that I'm tired of constantly fighting all the time. It's putting its wear and tear on me and I think I'm breaking down."

"Chris…"

"I just had a dream a while ago. Not too long before you came in. It was kind of strange. I kept fighting and fighting but… well… it was an…"

"…Unbeatable battle…" Jill finished for him. She slowly walked over to his bed and sat down next to him. "Chris, its just fear. You don't have to hide your feelings. We're all afraid at some point or another in our lives. It's a part of what makes us human after all."

Chris looked at her with sad eyes. "It's not the fear part I'm worried about…"

Jill was puzzled and didn't know what else to say. "Chris…"

"I love you Jill. You know that don't you?"

Jill's eyes widened in shock. She was completely and utterly speechless by his sudden confession.

Chris took advantage of her shock. "I've always loved you. I've just never been brave enough to say it before in the past. But it's too late for that now isn't it? Things have changed between us."

Jill suddenly felt a weight in her heart as his words reverberated through her senses. "Chris… no… we… I … I still love you too!"

He shook his head slightly, a small smile tugging on his lips. "Carlos needs you now. He needs you and you need him. Even if you don't realize it yet."

Jill began shaking her head quietly. "No… Chris…No!"

Chris lightly gripped her shoulders forcing her to look him directly in the eyes. "Jill please listen to me. If something happens in this mission… I'm not saying anything will but just in case… You're the only one I would trust most to take care of things for me. My sister respects you and so does everyone else…"

Jill simply continued looking at him with lost eyes. "Chris I don't understand. What are you trying to say? Nothing will happen. You can look after your sister yourself."

Chris then did something Jill would have never expected him to do. He embraced her in his arms and passionately kissed her. Jill slowly wrapped her arms around him and kissed back with equal passion. The two remained that way as if all time had stopped and they were eternally frozen in that position. However, unfortunately it did end as Chris gently pulled away and held her at arm's length. Once again, Jill was rendered speechless.   


"Goodnight Jill…" He said silently. "We'll talk more tomorrow. Right now I just think we all need our rest." 

The concept of what Chris had done began to sink into Jill's conscience. All the while they were talking he had absently led her towards the entrance of his room where they had finally kissed. She suddenly caught on to what his next move was. "Chris wait a minute! W-"

But before she could finish, Chris closed the door in her face. Jill was so angry she wanted to scream. She nearly banged on the door a few times in her blinding anger but decided against it as she would only be causing a scene and waking the others up. Finally she scoffed in anger and marched to her room. However, deep inside, she couldn't help getting the words of their recent conversation out of her head. _'Those words… those were the words spoken by those who were waiting to die.'_

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

****

Authors note: Once again, thanks for reading and please stay turned for chapter 7.


	7. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Resident evil characters, places and things all belong to Capcom and other involved companies. I own none of them. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY

CHAPTER 7

Leon awoke to the loud sounds of chopper rotors. Brushing his arm across his weary eyes, he slowly sat up and got out of bed. He walked over to his window blinds and opened his curtains then suddenly a whoosh of air rushed into his room.

Leon stuck out his head to get a better look. Sitting there, a few levels below him, was a huge S.T.A.R.S issued helicopter. Leon put his hand over his face to ward off the forceful wind. Scowling, he pulled his head back then yanked his closet open and ripped out some of his clothing. Leon quickly dressed then marched out of his room into the adjoining hallway to see Claire standing on the other end, in front of her own door. She was also dressed and looking around, much like he was. 

Leon ran over to her. "What the hell is going on?" He asked in frustration.

"I don't know!" She said, equally as confused as he was. "I thought you would know."

Leon shook his head. He turned his head right then left, scanning the hallways to see if anyone else was around who might have information on what the situation was.

Claire pushed a strand of hair behind her ear in annoyance. "Well obviously something's going on and I'm going to find out!" She turned crisply then began marching towards the north end of the hallway. 

Leon scrambled after her to catch up. "Hey hold up will you? I'm coming too!"

Claire shrugged and continued walking. "Fine, do whatever you want." Subconsciously, Claire greatly appreciated the support. She couldn't explain it but once the whole situation fell into place, Leon and her were like the odd one's out. With the exception of Carlos, Chris made it apparent after his speech that this was mainly a S.T.A.R.S operation. It was as if they had a personal score to settle with umbrella that far surpassed those of her and Leon. 

__

'Well too bad!' Claire said to herself mentally. _'Cause Leon and me both lost someone very important to us and I'll be damned if I let Chris and the others hog all the glory.' _Claire smiled to herself absently. It was good to know she was not alone in her turmoil.

The pair reached Chris's room in no time at all. Claire knocked on the door loudly. "Chris! Open up right now! What the hell is going on outside?"

After waiting a few moments, Claire banged on the door again. "Chris are you in there?"

Leon looked around the hallway then towards the flight of stairs leading down. "He's not there. I'm guessing he's either in the board room or the hanger bay."

Claire turned to face him and nodded. "Right. Let's go check the hanger bay first, then we'll check the board room."

Leon nodded his head then smiled faintly. "Hey we make a good team you know that?"

Claire grinned back. "Yeah we do don't we? I give the orders and you obey! Kinda like having my own personal pet."

"Hey!" Leon objected angrily. 

"Claire simply laughed then began to run towards the hanger bay. "Stop yapp'in and start running. We have to catch up or we may end up getting left behind!"

Leon bit back an angry response and ran after her. 

****

Carlos roughly shoved Chris against the wall. "What the fu#k is your problem? Are you nuts!?"

Chris gingerly gripped Carlos hand and yanked it off of him. "First of all…" He said in a calm voice. "Don't touch me. And secondly, I have no problem. I meant just what I said. We're leaving."

Carlos barley got his anger in check. "Why?"

"Look, somehow Umbrella got wind of our position and they've sent a s.w.a.t. team out to clean shop. We have to take off right now! So do you want to stop yapping and help me get some of this equipment on board?"

"And where are we going to go? This is our last safe heaven!"

Chris sighed in annoyance. "I have another safehouse. We were going to head there anyway. That's where we'll drop Sherry off to make sure she stays safe. Once we leave from there, we head to Umbrella's main facility."

Carlos growled in rage and punched the side locker. He and Chris were currently in the hanger area of the safehouse. Once the Chopper rotors had started up, Carlos immediately ran towards the hanger, thinking it was an Umbrella attack only to see that it was Chris loading stuff up and prepping the chopper for take off. He had been the first one there thus he had no one holding him back from attacking Chris outright. However, he was learning that Chris wasn't such an easy target to provoke a fight with. 

Carlos rubbed the bridge of his nose in vexation. "Look Chris, I'm gonna be straight with you and I expect you to do the same for me…"

Chris didn't answer but turned his head slightly towards Carlos to show he was listening.

"What's going on between you and Jill? Are you two an item or something? Jill won't say nothing so now I'm asking you. What's going on?"

Chris let out another sigh then leaned against the wall. "Carlos I'm only going to say this once." He walked over to the mercenary so that he was now face to face with him. Carlos narrowed his eyes in speculation that Chris was going to hit him. 

Chris eyed him evenly. "Grow up!"

"What!?"

"Jill doesn't need some macho jackass ok? Yes, there was something going on between us in the past but that's all it is now! The past! Stop acting like such a fu#king baby and grow up! You keep this up and you will lose her for good."

Carlos was insulted at Chris remark but at the same time, relief at his answer held his anger in check. 

Chris turned his back and began walking back to the chopper. "You just better take good care of her. Cause otherwise…"

Chris suddenly spun around and whipped out his handgun. The move was so fast, Carlos didn't have a chance to react. All he could do was stare grimly into the barrel of Chris 9mm handgun.

"…I'll kill you." Chris finished. He then quickly flipped his gun back into his pouch and continued walking towards the chopper. Carlos clenched his fists now ready to come to blows with the S.T.A.R.S officer then suddenly the door swung open and in came Barry, Jill, Rebecca and everyone else with the exception of Leon and Claire.

"Chris what's going on?" Barry asked. "What's with the chopper?"

Chris smiled lightly. "I thought it would be the fastest way to wake you all up. Unlike in the police department, we don't have alarms here. I just picked up a report over the radio waves. Umbrella's sending an attack our way. They must have tracked one of our helicopters as it was coming in yesterday. Anyway, we need to pack the rest of the gear up so we can get ready for takeoff."

Barry nodded. "Ok we'll help. Uh… Chris… How big is this strike force anyway?"

Chris shook his head. "I don't know but if anything, I'll just bet their going to send some heavy firepower down on us. And you know what that means!"

Barry nodded grimly. "Yeah. I guess we better get a move on then."

Carlos noticed Jill was at the back of the group. She had a slightly despondent look in her eyes. He quickly walked over to her. 

"Hey Jill. You don't look so good. Is something wrong?"

Jill shook her head wearily. "It's nothing Carlos, don't worry about it. I'm just tired that's all."

Carlos gave her a concerned look but eventually turned his attention back towards the cases of ammunition and equipment and got back to work loading them up on the plane.

Nobody said anything as they all rushed to load the supplies onto the chopper. Time was of the essence.

Suddenly they all heard the sounds of another loud chopper looming in over the horizons. 

"Shit!" James seethed as he looked around nervously, expecting the enemy to come out at them at any time.

****

BOOOOOM

The force knocked everyone off their feet. 

"What the hell was that!?!" Cried Belivan in alarm. 

"Cool your jets Frank!" Aiken replied in an equally loud voice. "Just concentrate on getting those crates inside the chopper!"

"That's right!" Derrick ran up to the nearest stack of crates and began chucking them into the chopper as fast as he could. "Lets get a move on people!" He yelled as he furiously hefted another crate and launched it in.

Barry immediately joined him and soon everyone was doing their part. 

Suddenly Chris looked up in alarm. "Where's Leon and Claire?" He asked anxiously. 

Barry looked around in a shocked expression. "We didn't see them on our way here!"

Sherry, who was standing with Walter Risakes, began to get scared. "They aren't here?!?" The young girl cried frantically. "We've gotta get them before the monsters come!"

Chris quickly tossed his crate to James Mathy. "James can you take over for me? I'm going to get them!"

James nodded and carried the crate all the way to the chopper, loading it up with the rest.

Chris turned towards Barry. "As soon as you have the crates locked and loaded, I want you to take off."

Barry was appalled. "Chris you know I can't-"

"Look Barry, just do it! We'll catch up with you, don't worry about that. What concerns me now is our takeoff. Their first objective is going to be to close off all exit routes which means their first target is the hanger bay! I need you to get this thing in the air! Once you spot us, drop us a ladder and we'll get on board. I'll make sure of that! I promise."

Barry reluctantly nodded his head. "Ok Chris… But if you're not there when we swing by, you better believe we'll stay here until we find you."

Chris smiled. "Thanks old friend. But there's no need to worry about that. I'm not going to die here. There's still too much we all have to do… together!"

Barry clamped his palm on Chris shoulder. "Get going pal. You need all the time you can get to find your sister."

Chris smiled. "Thanks. Just make sure you do your part! I'll be back as fast as I can!"

With that, Chris ran off towards the exit to the hanger bay. Barry watched his retreating form for a moment then let out a sigh. _'You better come back alive kid…'_

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for the next chapter. 


	8. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Resident Evil characters, places and things all belong to Capcom and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY

CHAPTER 8

Claire shook her head vigorously. She tried to collect her thoughts while clearing her eyes of unwanted dust. The last thing she could remember was a loud noise and… 

Suddenly she clutched her head as a searing pain reached up into her skull. She looked around in surprise. Everything was in flames. The hallway had erupted into a gulf of fire and destruction. It had all happened so fast, she never had a chance to retaliate. Immediately something occurred to her. She looked around anxiously. She was with Leon when the walls had exploded. 

"Leon!" She called in alarm. "Leon where are you?"

She slowly rose to her feet, covering her mouth against the fumes of smoke. "LEON!" She called again in between coughs.

"LEON! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

She listened anxiously for any sort of reply. Her heart clenched in fear. She prayed he was not under any of the fire consumed rubble. 

"…C- claire?" 

The voice was faint but Claire heard it well enough. 

"Leon!" She called back. "Where are you? I can't see you!"

"Claire I'm here." 

She heard the voice coming from her left. Claire swung in that direction and saw a figure crouching slightly below the flames. Leon was directly behind a beam blocking her path. 

"Leon are you alright?" She asked in concern. 

Leon nodded briskly as he coughed up a lung full of smoke while at the same time, slightly clutching his injured side. "Yeah I'm fine. How about you? Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Leon I can't get to you from here. I'm going to try running through the other end. It might wind back around your way."

"Ok… Claire… be careful. I have a bad feeling about this. This may be an Umbrella attack." 

Claire nodded. "Yeah you might be right. You be careful too. I don't want to see you on the receiving end of a bullet or a zombie bite anytime soon."

Leon smiled back at her. It was her way of saying she didn't want him to die. For some odd reason it made him feel happier knowing she felt that way about him.

"Claire, I'm gonna take this path. Hopefully it will lead the same way and we can meet up in the middle."

"Ok, I'll see you soon." With that, Claire sprinted down the other side of the hallway being careful to dodge the burning debris around her. Leon watched her run off for a moment then pulled out his standard Issue Barrette handgun. He silently said a prayer of thanks that he had decided on bringing it along. He checked him ammunition level then ran down his side of the hallway.

****

Chris ran down the burning hallways of the S.T.A.R.S safehouse anxiously looking in all directions. He clutched his Colt Python tightly in his sweaty grip. 

"Claire?" He called out in a concerned voice. 

"Claire where are you?" 

He broke into a run once more. There was a narrow hall engulfed in flames. Chris closed his eyes and ran through it, heedless of the searing heat. After crossing through to the other side, he looked to the left noticing that the corridor cut off into two separate sections. Chris looked from right to left, trying to decided which route to take. 

Suddenly there was another loud explosion and Chris barely kept himself from falling to the ground. He griped his gun tighter and made a desperate choice. He ran left. 

****

Claire coughed up smoke for the third time since leaving Leon. She had crossed many hallways trying to keep to the walls, hoping that the corridor would wind around in a circular pattern. Unfortunately, she felt as if she were going deeper and deeper into another direction all together. And, as if to add insult to injury, every area she passed was similarly surrounded in flames. Claire sighed in frustration. 

__

'At this rate, I'll never catch up with Leon.' She stood there, vaguely pondering whether or not it would be such a bad idea to simply backtrack and try to get through the burning beam.

Suddenly a huge fist burst through the wall, just inches away from her face. Claire screamed out in fear and surprise then quickly scattered away. 

The wall crumbled further as the force tore the rest of it apart. Slowly a figure emerged into view. At the sight of it, Claire's voice caught in her throat. 

The figure was huge and his skin was gray tinted. His shaved head only added to the evil black hollow depths of his eyes. His left eye was completely covered by a huge gruesome scar. And on his right arm he had a huge set of talon claws in place of a regular hand. Over his body, he wore a single trench coat and set of baggy pants. Only one thing in the world could ever put this much fear in Claire's heart. 

"Tyrant!" 

The beastly man turned his head as if responding to the name he was unanimously dubbed. Claire inched further away from the ghastly creature and slowly reached for her 9mm handgun. She knew the weapon was useless against a Tyrant. They always were. The Tyrant module was designed to take massive amounts of punishment. Nothing short of a rocket launcher could drop them. 

She gradually overcame her fear and rose to her feet, now facing the monster. The Tyrant sensed the threat she posed and growled in bestial rage.

Claire knew this was her only chance. With the swiftness of a seasoned gunslinger, she whipped out her 9mm and fired three shots directly into the Tyrant's chest, hoping she hit his heart. 

The Tyrant walked towards her, heedless of the bullet wounds he had just received.

"Shit!" Claire hissed. She noticed a side corridor to her left but she had to distract him long enough to make the move. 

Clenching her teeth in anticipation, she swiftly trained her 9mm once again and fired two shots directly towards the Tyrant's face. One of the bullets pierced through the beast's eye causing him to roar in pain. The other bullet tore into his head but was not enough to do anything more then tear some of the already dead skin tissue away from his bio-genetically enhanced skull.

The monster continued to roar in pain, thrashing his arms against the wall, shattering much of the framework. 

Claire took full advantage of the opportunity and quickly dashed into the side corridor, running at full tilt. She knew she could only hold 15 rounds at a time in her handgun with no extra ammunition to reload and she had already spent five bullets on distracting the Tyrant. She silently prayed she could make it to Leon and get out of this hell-hole before running out completely. 

****

Leon paused in mid step as he heard the sounds of yet another explosion. He was becoming extremely worried about Claire. Even though he packed a gun he wondered if Claire thought to bring one herself. He silently berated himself for not asking her. _'I shouldn't have left her behind.' _He scolded himself._ 'I should have found some way around that fire.'_

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of gunfire. Leon darted his head in the direction of the gunfire. _'Claire!'_

He quickly ran down the corridor leading to the source of the battle. He quickly pulled out his magnum and checked to make sure it was fully loaded. Once he reached the end of the hall he grimaced in annoyance. There were three separate corridors leading into three separate directions. Leon lay the cold steel of his magnum against his forehead trying to decide the best path to take. 

****

BOOOOM

Leon dropped to the ground in alarm. His eyes darted left and right for any signs of danger. After a moment, he slowly rose back up to his feet. 

"Another explosion." He mused silently. He looked to the left where the sound had come from. Sighing heavily, he clenched his teeth and ran down the far right corridor with new determination etched into his face.

****

Chris knew he was heading further into the sleeping quarters yet still he saw no sign of Claire or Leon. With each step closer, new dread washed over him. _'Claire where are you?' _he said to himself anxiously. He took a few more steps down the hallway when suddenly he heard footsteps. 

Chris quickly darted to the side so that whoever it was could pass. As soon as the shadow loomed into view, Chris darted from cover and aimed dead center at his target.

"Freeze right now! Drop your weapons!" He called out. 

The figure paused then raised its arms facing him. "Chris! Don't shoot! It's me, Leon!"

Chris immediately lowered his gun at the voice. "Leon?" He ran up to the man as fast as he could. "Leon are you ok? Where's Claire? Is she injured somewhere?"

"Calm down Chris. Claire's somewhere back that way. We got separated by a burning beam and had to split up to double track. Chris I heard gunfire a few minutes ago. I think Claire may need our help!" 

"Ok, we can't go back the way I came because that only loops around towards the hanger bay. And the path further towards that leads to the storage area."

"Claire was around the sleeping quarters on the other side. Does that area also loop around at all?"

"Yeah." Chris cocked his gun then turned towards the far right exit in the corridor they were currently at. "It leads down this way. But we'll have to hurry. If Claire's in danger then we're running on borrowed time."

"Right! Then lets get going!" The two men rushed down the corridor heedless of the immense danger lurking further away in the shadows.

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 9._


	9. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Resident Evil characters, places, and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no profit from it. 

****

RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY

CHAPTER 9

"Damnit!" Claire swore as she rammed into the side of yet another locked door. She had just run down three flights of stairs, countless corridors and several numbers of twists and turns, pushing her adrenaline to the absolute limit. 

She practically melted once her back brushed up against the cold solid surface of the door frame. She brushed a shaking hand across her sweat-glazed brow, still keeping a tight grip on her 9-mm berreta. Her mind began to swim through all possible alternatives as she cast a quick glance across her surroundings. 

Like all the other corridors she had passed, this one sported the familiar dust and debris which lay riddled about the full length of the hallway floor. Some areas of the ceiling were dripping with plaster carrying the acrid stench of sewage and other unsavory scents along with them. 

Claire was just now beginning to notice. The smell of defecation along with the toxic aroma's of rustic pipes mixed together to form a collage of offenses, yielding no mercy to the poor soul trapped within the confines of their domain. Claire bent her head low, almost gagging from the scent. She vigorously shook her head, tearing her senses away from the thought of the putrid stench and focused instead on the task ahead. 

So far she had managed to elude the walking menace which threatened her at every corner but not entirely. Every exit she took, he was there. The relief she felt after every flight of stairs she descended, thinking she had reached some temporary solace, was broken once more with his presence. Claire was beginning to think there was no way for her to escape at all. 

She drew her arms slightly tighter around herself as a gentle breeze brushed up against her. It was beginning to become extremely cold and unfortunately the slightly snug tee shirt she wore along with the similarly tight pair of blue jeans wasn't going to keep her warm for much longer.

****__

'Just my luck.' Claire thought to herself with a hallow smile faintly marring her pale cheeks. _'I'm trapped in a life or death situation with a huge beast trying to rip my heart out and here I am brooding over why I hadn't remembered to pack my damn winter coat!'_

Claire chuckled in mild amusement at the irony of her situation. She slowly peeled her fingers away from the handle of her beretta, feeling more relaxed after her short spurt of amusement. Flexing her fingers, she noticed the soft trail of dust raining down from above. Claire didn't have to look up to guess who it would be. 

"Damn…" She said silently, raising up from her kneeling position by the door. "I guess you won't give up until one of us is dead." 

Claire mechanically cocked her handgun then buried it halfway into her pocket. She looked once more down the narrow flight of stairs a few yards away from where she stood then sighed heavily. With a crisp click of her sharp boots, Claire turned fully around and once again ran further into the maze of uncharted corridors, praying she would find help soon.

****

The door cracked open slowly as Chris Redfield applied minimum pressure to it. The deep scent, following the entrance into the new room was almost suffocating due to the lack of sufficient oxygen ventilation. The whole area was submerged in the toxic fumes of carbon monoxide and other deadly chemicals forcing its occupants to proceed with due caution. 

Leon squeezed his eyes shut, trying his best to ward off the intruding fumes, which threatened to penetrate his nostrils. Chris was at a similar disadvantage but managed to tear a piece of his shirt off and hold it over his mouth and nose. After taking a few deep breaths through the bunched up material, he turned his head towards Leon and held out the cloth to him. 

"Here, Use this. It'll keep the fumes out of your system, at least until we can make it to a more suitable area."

Leon graciously accepted the rag and took a few puffs of strangled air himself. "But what about you?" He asked after removing the cloth from his mouth. 

Chris smiled back at him and shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I've been in worse situations then this. I don't need it as bad as you do. Just follow me. I'll get us out of here and into the next area as fast as I can."

Leon shifted his head in a nod then replaced the rag over his mouth. He wasn't too comfortable with the whole idea of Chris going in without any protection over his mouth, however at this point he was too concerned about Claire's safety to waste time arguing the point. 

Chris promptly cracked the door open the rest of the way then scampered out into the hallways. Leon follow closely behind, ducking as low as he could to reduce the amount of toxins he took in. The hallway was a mess. A few vacant fires were alight in some areas yet they were virtually harmless now as they would soon extinguish from lack of oxygen. What worried the young ex- police officer now, aside from the fumes, was the billowing smoke, which blurred his vision constantly. Leon tried to squeeze his eyes as far closed as possible while still being able to see where he was going but even that was proving to be difficult as the heated gasses penetrated even that small crevice of space between his lids. 

"I don't know how much longer I can take this." He muffled through the rag he now clutched tightly over his mouth. The heat was beginning to gnaw at him, making it feel more stuffy and humid then he could bear. Leon could feel the hot beads of sweat sliding down his back from inside the sweater he was wearing. He could feel the sting of hot gas as it skimmed past his dry skin. 

Leon dragged a sleeve across his brow, desperately trying to lower his body temperature while at the same time, trying to keep up with Chris actions. 

Chris too was struggling through the uncomfortable surroundings yet he stoically pushed it all to the back of his mind as his brain worked frantically to find the exit through all the clouds of black smoke surrounding them. He laboriously scaled the surface of the walls in an attempt to feel the layout of his surroundings. He could feel the burning sensations as his lungs desperately screamed for air. He could feel the scalding heat oh his face, the toxic fumes nipping at his nostrils. His lips twitched ever so gently at the urge to suck in the dangerous emissions yet by sheer will power alone he fought the urge and continued on.

Each step was a labor in and of its own. His senses were pushed to the absolute limit. He could feel the cracking of glass under his boots, the emanations of gasses as they seeped in, surrounding him. He felt the dry waves of the mist around him and continuously fought the scent, which carried toxic dangers with them. 

Chris gripped his gun tighter for support. He could hardly bare it any longer. He vaguely remembered hearing Leon make a comment to him from behind but he couldn't be sure. He couldn't be sure of anything as his mind reeling in agonizing limbo. Chris knew he couldn't bare the fumes for much longer. 

Chris felt his vision blurring. He felt as if his lunges were caving in on him. He took another step then found himself falling to the floor for lack of oxygen. Chris wanted to sleep right then in there. To close his eyes against the endless torture that was life. He wanted to forget it all in the peaceful spectrum that was sleep. 

…But then Claire's face drifted through his mind. Her agonizing expression was enough for Chris to reach out for her. To anxiously clutch for the only family he had left. Just as his fingertips were about to reach her, her image faded and instead his hand compacted with something solid. 

Immediately, Chris mind returned to the present. He cracked his eyes open and to his astonishment, saw that he had found the exit point. He quickly spun around to see Leon fumbling about, a few steps away, almost giving up on the struggle to breath himself. Chris swiftly grabbed the young ex-cop and yanked him forward. Leon's feet dragged on the dust covered, glass riddled floor as Chris pulled him further and further towards the exit. With the strength Chris never knew he had, he jerked the door open, thrust Leon inside, then pulled himself in, closing the door immediately afterwards. 

Chris bashed his back up against the hard steel of the door sinking to the ground as he took huge gasps for air. He looked on to see Leon lying a foot or too in front of him coughing violently but breathing non the less. Chris smiled proudly. _'We made it.'_

****

Barry frowned as he loaded the last piece of equipment into the S.T.A.R.S helicopter. It was a rather sufficient method of compiling. All the equipment and supplies were secured firmly either behind the seats or in any rear compartments they could find. There was plenty of room in the combat helicopter to support the necessary occupants who would be boarding it soon. However, the bearded man was still troubled. Chris was still not back yet and to make matters worse, the sounds of helicopter rotors were now followed by loud noises of explosions and gunfire. Barry couldn't help clenching his hands into fists at the thought of Chris and the others being stuck dead center in the middle of all of it while they were stuck in the cargo bay loading up supplies. 

The sounds of shuffling broke his train of thought and Barry found himself looking to the side to see that Jill was similarly troubled by the current situation. Oddly, she had been quiet the whole day for some reason. Barry wasn't sure why but he hadn't had much time to think about it in between discovering the surprise attack and loading the cargo on board. 

Barry reached out his hand and clasped it firmly on Jill's shoulder in a gesture of support. The brunette turned her face towards him as if suddenly broken from her own thoughts. 

"You ok?" Barry asked in a soft voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine… it's just that I'm worried about Chris and the others. They still haven't returned yet."

"I know. Look, if things to close I'll take a group in and we'll get them out of there quick. There's no way I'm leaving anyone behind."

"We're all set to go." Derrick said as he rounded the corner where Barry and Jill were standing. His slightly cheerful expression faded however, when he saw the expressions on their faces. 

"Don't tell me… They haven't made it back yet?"

Barry shook his head softly. Derrick was soon accompanied by all the other S.T.A.R.S rebels along with Carlos. 

"What's going on?" Carlos asked.

"Take a guess." James replied in an annoyed response. "Our 'hero' hasn't come back yet."

The others expressions quickly turned sour. Barry immediately reacted. 

"Hey don't give up on Chris. He probably just needs a little more time."

"That's bull$hit and you know it!" James argued back. "It was stupid of him to go without backup anyway! I'm gonna go look for him. Risakes, you and Aiken cool with backing me up?"

Both men nodded.

"Ok great. Barry, when we find him, we'll rendezvous with you at the northern most tower of the complex."

"I don't think so!" Barry interjected. "Let's say you do go off. How do you know that once you leave you don't miss him as your going past and he gets here before you? All that plan will do is create more of a problem for us."

James narrowed his eyes, half at Barry's decision and half at the logic behind it. "So what are we supposed to do then?" James asked, almost shouting. "Wait around her like lost chickens or something?"

"Yeah, we are kind'a the one's who are put in the hot spot here." Risakes agreed. 

Barry knotted his brows in thought. He didn't want to admit they all had valid reason to be angry. If anything did happen, they would all pay for it if they waited any longer. However, at the same time, they couldn't just leave Chris behind. Barry was caught between a rock and a hard place and he definitely didn't want to be the one giving the order to take off, leaving Chris, Claire, and Leon behind. 

"I say we start the rotors and get air born." 

Everyone looked with surprised eyes at the speaker. 

"What are you saying Carlos!" Jill asked angrily.

"There's no way we're leaving the others behind and that's final!" Rebecca added defiantly.

Carlos shrugged. "Look, I'll be the first person to admit I don't like this Chris guy but even still, this goes beyond what I feel about him. Besides, I've got nothing against either Claire or Leon. I definitely don't want to have their deaths on my conscience. All I'm saying is that we go air born. Like Chris said earlier, the first thing they will go after is the hanger area. If they close us in, there won't be any debate about saving them or not because it will be too late by then. At least if we make it to the air we'll be helping the others out by doing our part. Once there, we can keep circling the base until we find them. And in the mean time we can fight off as many umbrella agents as we can to clear the way for em."

Everyone mused over the sensibility of Carlos words. Barry knew that it was the best decision to make yet he still didn't like the whole idea of leaving anyone behind. It was all too risky. 

"…But… but listen to what your all saying!" Sherry suddenly squealed from the back of the group. No one had noticed her at the time thus all occupants were rather shocked at her sudden interlude. 

"You're saying we should leave them behind. Even if it's to make it to the air, isn't that still bad? I don't know about the rest of you but Claire and Leon are all I have left. They protected me when I was all alone. They watched after me and I know for a fact they would never abandon me if our situations were reversed. Listen to what you're saying! You're saying we should do the exact opposite. That we should leave them behind! Well I won't have it!"

Tears were now streaming down the young girl's eyes, causing them all to feel bad about themselves. 

"Sherry…" Rebecca whispered in a compassionate voice. "Maybe you should-"

"NO!" Sherry cut her off. "If…if you all decide to leave then fine!… Leave! But I won't come with you. You'll all have to leave me behind as well!"

Barry quickly walked up to Sherry before the young girl could continue. "Sherry wait a minute. Listen to me, none of us wants to leave anyone behind understand? But what Carlos is saying makes sense. If we get the helicopter going, we can at least ensure we have an exit point."

"I don't care!" The girl stubbornly yelled back. "If you dare try to leave then I won't go!"

****

BOOOOM

Everyone was shocked as the far left wall suddenly exploded into shards of debris. Huge rocks quickly sped their way. Barry instantly dove forward, pushing Sherry out of the way as a huge rock flew towards her. The explosion was immediately followed with the spray of gunfire coming from the entrance. 

"$hit!" James hissed as he dove behind one side of the helicopter. The others quickly followed suit as the number of bullets quickly doubled. 

"Looks like its too late for that getaway plan!" Carlos yelled above the blare of gunfire. "They've found us!"

Barry ducked low making sure he and Sherry were safely secured under the support of a large boulder which had planted itself a few feet in front of them after the explosion. Barry looked down at the poor girl lying under him. She had passed out after the explosion, her head hitting the hard cement floor while he was getting her out of the way. 

"Hang on there kid." Barry whispered then dipped his head from cover slightly. Bullets quickly rang out and he zipped his head right back down. Barry's thoughts were all jumbled. Everything had happened so fast. He pulled out his Colt Python then trained his eyes on the helicopter which, he noticed, had several bullet holes already. 

"Damnit!" He hissed. "Listen up! We've gotta fight them off. Keep them away from the helicopter! That's their target!"

Derrick looked back at Barry from his cover a few feet away then trained his eyes on the helicopter. "$hit! You're right!" He yanked out his M16 and quickly sprang to his feet firing a horizontal succession of bullets then dropped back down for cover. However this only had the adverse effect as the bullets only compounded more on them. 

A few feet beside the helicopter, Risakes eyes widened in shock. 

"What's wrong?" James asked in a distracted manner as he hurriedly pulled out his shotgun from his shoulder pouch. 

"Take a look at what their pack'in dude." Risakes said in a shocked voice, never taking his eyes off of the enemy. 

James grit his teeth in annoyance but turned and looked as well. His breath quickly caught up in his throat. "Oh hell!"

A few Yards away, marching straight at them, was a full platoon of Zombies flailing their arms out for want of fresh blood. However, they weren't the brunt of the attack. Behind them, was yet another platoon. This one had real soldiers. Umbrella troopers firing at them using the zombies as cover so they wouldn't get hit. 

"Man oh man!" Risakes said. "I heard a gazillion things about these things from Derrick and Barry but a picture truly speaks more then a thousand words!"

"Yeah…" James replied, gulping a heavy lump down his throat. His hand shook violently as he gripped his shotgun tighter. 

"Hey bro!" He yelled from his position a few feet behind. "We got a $hit load of trouble here; living dead style!"

"Understood!" Derrick yelled back. "Maintain your position. Aiken, you still packing that desert eagle?"

"Yeah!" He yelled over the hail of bullets. 

"Good. Let loose on em with a few rounds of that. The rest of us will follow you up. We'll see if we can knock em out as fast as we can. Each in succession everyone!"

James grumbled in anger at the command. "'Maintain your position' my a$$!" He spat out. He once again clutched his shotgun around his hands. 

Risakes gave him a knowing glance then grinned slightly. "Time to let lose and kick some a$$ huh?"

James grinned back and nodded. "What you got?"

Risakes smiled then slowly revealed an M178 grenade launcher, small type. James grinned even wider. "Hell yeah. It's definitely time to kick a$$ and take names."

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Authors note: Thanks for reading. Please stay tuned for chapter 10.


	10. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Resident Evil characters, places and things all belong to Capcom and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of myself and others. I make no money from it.

****

RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY

CHAPTER 10

"Get away from me you damned beast!" Claire screamed in a mixture of panic and anger as she relentlessly fired bullets into the acrid, dead flesh of the huge monster known as Tyrant. 

Claire had just finished running through countless corridors and hallways, completely aimless as to where each path would take her only to end up opening a door directly in front of her pursuer. She reacted immediately, running as fast as she could away from the oncoming monster until she found her escape path had cut off from the ensuing fire. There was truly no other choice to make and now Claire found herself facing off with the horrid monster, firing as many times as she could, hoping with each shot, one would knock it down, at least temporarily. 

However, tyrant would not be so merciful. He continued to march forward, heedless of her bullets. 

Claire could hear the beast's approach with every footstep. Her heart beat in rhythmic sync with each thump the creatures foot made. For Claire knew, each step lead closer and closer to her death. 

Claire swerved her handgun in line with the creature's face then fired again. It continued to walk, unfazed by the bullet. Claire's face beaded with sweat, and she could feel her heart pumping even faster. She fastened her sweaty fingers tightly on the trigger and fired again. Still nothing. She fired three more times in succession, all in the same area yet still the beast would not give. Claire's hands shook violently. She only had on bullet left. Her senses were now heightened by her fear. She could clearly smelled the defined stench of tyrant's, bloody, virus filled, body. She could see every defined muscle as they all spasmed methodically with each step. She could heart the disgusting beat of its blood read heart as it pumped more and more fluid through its distorted veins and arteries. 

Claire shook violently now. She knew one shot would not be enough. As the beast came closer, she knew she was going to die. She could almost feel the sting of its sharp claws as the glistened in the dim light, hungry for her blood. 

Claire shook her head violently. _'NO!'_ Her mind screamed. _'I will not die this day! I will not die like this! I will SURVIVE!' _

Suddenly Claire snapped her eyes open, temporarily possessed of a force far beyond logical thinking. Instead of her previous movements of retreat, she now rushed swiftly towards the walking menace. 

It was almost as if the horribly distorted monster knew of her plan. A slight trace, almost a grin, tugged at the creature's lips. Tyrant leaned low, angling to its side in an almost lunging position, outstretching its right claw, preparing for the attack. 

Claire was unheeded and ran swiftly onward, totally bent on her attack. Then, after a moment, Tyrant too, rushed in, charging at full speed towards her. Claire gripped her fingers even tighter around her handgun. Tyrant ran up close then lunged his claws forward in an attacking strike. At the very last second, Claire dropped low and slid right under the attack. Without stopping, she then quickly sprinted back up to her feet, took aim and fired her berretta dead center into the base of Tyrant's skull. The creature roared in pain after being hit, obviously in it's weak spot. Claire never waited to find out. She continued sprinting down the hall the other way, then rammed into the door breaking it down on impact. She fell to the ground then looked around at her surroundings. She noticed by the loud humming noise and the distinct smell that she was now in the furnace room.

However, the loud scream emanating from the other room broke her from her thoughts immediately. In no time at all she was back up on her feet and running again. She scaled the outer interior of the reactor room trying to find any way out of this new area. She heard the soft thump of bare feet as the tyrant once again resumed his search. A billion thoughts ran through Claire's mind at once. The furnace room broke off into roughly two columns. Each sector covered a different heating source for the safehouse above. Claire ran along the sides of the second column as the Tyrant neared further. She continued to look frantically for an exit. All the while, the soft footsteps became more and more oppressive to her senses. 

The heat emanating from the room was making the softly glistened sweat stick to her body like hot wax. She anxiously tugged at her shirt to fan herself off from the relentless heat while still trying to keep the heavy scent of burning oil out of her mind. Suddenly the huge beast let out yet another lour roar. Claire immediately flinched at the horrible sound. 

She cautiously peered from cover in time to yank her head back and run the other way. The Tyrant was once again after her. Claire ran as fast as her legs would carry her as she heard his relentless approach from behind. Fear gripped her heart, willing her on, past endurance. Claire quickly ran up along side the center walls of the left furnace engine, cautiously peering over the edge to gauge his position. However, to her horror, the monster was still at full tilt, running ruthlessly towards her. 

Claire zipped her head from left to right, desperately trying to think of a way to outsmart the enormous beast. Her eyes suddenly landed on the fourth tank in the far back of the center row. It would be a close call but desperation and anxiety overruled all logical thought. 

Claire quickly dashed away from the side of the furnace running towards the last tank. The closer she got, the scent of oil and gas emanating from the distance became more and more apparent. She knew this was the worst thing she could ever do. A thousand visions of painful deaths floated into her senses all at once. She pushed all of this to the back of her head angrily then sped up even more. She could feel the ache in her legs and shoulders as fatigue continued to gnaw at her body. She wanted to give up now yet the will to live overpowered anything else that possibly had a chance of entering her mind. 

The sounds of feet slamming against concrete signaled her to the Tyrant's proximity to her now. Claire risked a glance to the rear noticing that the monsters was now only a few feet away from her. She shut her sweaty eyes tightly against the fear of what lay behind if she missed even one foot. 

Finally, Claire came to a complete stop, spinning swiftly around to look dead center into the face of the enormous beast which constantly pursued her. The Tyrant continued its attack, heedless of her sudden action. It stretched out its massive claws, arching them for the strike. Claire flinched slightly at the sight of the bloodied razors tearing apart from each other as the hand opened wide. She nervously gripped her fingers waiting for the right moment. 

Tyrant lunged in at full force, flashing the claws swiftly towards its target. Claire quickly dodged to the side just in time to see the Tyrant strike down on the tank which was leaking gas fumes from that very spot. Claire didn't waste a second. She sprang to her feet as fast as she could. 

****

BOOOOOOM 

Suddenly she was flying through the air, from the sheer momentum of the blast. She groaned in pain as she crashed painfully into the ground then tumbling around a few times, all the while, holding her head for protection. Claire could barely see anything as bright lights flashed all around her. Pain racked her body all over yet she still yanked herself into a standing position. _'I've gotta get out of here!'_ She thought desperately, speeding further and further away from the rear tank. She felt as if her ears would pop at any second. Each explosion reverberated off the walls creating an almost super sonic noise level driving havoc throughout her senses. Claire dug the palms of her hands over her ears but to no avail. The noise would heed to nothing. Dragging her racked body even further away from the source of the disaster she looked on with relief. The exit was right ahead. With the last of her strength, Claire dove through the exit, falling hard onto the floor coughing vigorously from all the dust and debris. 

CLICK

Claire drew her head up at the all too familiar sound, a new level a dread washing over her senses all at once. She narrowed her eyes as the barrel of a gun was drawn further towards her dirty, fatigued face. 

"That's far enough." Came the voice of the Umbrella S.W.A.T. trooper standing over her aiming his M16 directly in front of her skull. 

****

Belivan drew back as heavy bullet fire zipped past his face. He exhaled a shaky sigh of relief, taking small glances back at his opponent. He then trained his head to the side towards Rebecca Chambers, the medical specialist of S.T.A.R.S. Belivan felt sympathy for the frightened girl who refused to open her eyes the whole time since the attack began. This wasn't her environment, he realized. She wasn't used to this kind of fighting. He knew the whole situation must be terrifying to her. 

Belivan reached out a hand and gripped her shoulder firmly, startling her enough so that she opened her eyes slightly, now looking up at him. He slightly marveled at how pretty her eyes were but quickly erased those thoughts, remembering where he was. 

"Hey, it's gonna be ok! I'm gonna get you out of here. Understand?"

Rebecca slowly nodded her head in understanding but was still too frightened to say anything for fear that the slightest utterance might destroy what little remained of her shallow protection at the back side of the helicopter. Belivan quickly ejected all of his wasted ammunition, then smacked a new magazine into his AK47 machine gun. He expunged a final breath of air then once again, zipped from cover, spraying a few rounds of gunfire and then dropped back down again. His forehead beaded with sweat as he drew his shaking face towards the edge of cover, surveying his work. 

"Two down…" He whispered. 

Suddenly the bullet fire intensified and he found himself ducking further into cover. Not moving his head away from the protection of the facing helicopter, he angled his arm out, firing random bursts out at his enemies. 

Rebecca slowly raised her eyes to regard him once more. _'Why are we fighting?'_ She thought to herself in mild shock. She still couldn't fully deal with the whole issue of fighting. Rebecca had never liked war nor fighting of any kind for that matter. She had lost her father to the demons of war at a young age. As she grew up, she wanted to dedicate her life to the preservation of others. She wanted to save as many people from the tragedy of war as she could. Yet now she could not comprehend what was going on at all. Why did people constantly want to kill each other? Why did people want to purposely destroy other people? Especially when all they wanted to do was save humanity from a far more dangerous threat. Why did they want to stop them? It was madness. That was the only logical explanation Rebecca could find to justify the situation. It was all pure and utter madness. 

Rebecca was roughly jerked out of her deep contemplation as a rough hand suddenly gripped her shoulder with painful intensity. 

"Hey!" Belivan said to her in an anxious tone of voice. "Snap out of it. I need you to listen to me for a minute. Can you do that?" His voice was raspy from exertion and anxiety. And Rebecca was almost positive she detected a fair amount of fear in him as well. He was currently sitting with his back against the helicopter. His nervous hands were swiftly going through the movements of loading his ammunition once again. 

"I… I can understand. What do you need me to do?" She asked shakily. 

Belivan sighed slightly in relief. "Ok… I need you to make a break for it. Look they're gonna continue to attack our position until they take this thing out. It's too dangerous for us to stay here and besides… we've gotta draw there attention away from the helicopter or we won't have any way to escape from here!"

Rebecca nodded quickly, swallowing her fear. "Ok I understand. What do you need me to do."

"When I give you the signal I want you to run over there as fast as you can." He said, pointing to the cover where Jill was crouching low, giving them the signal that she understood and would also provide cover fire. 

Rebecca nodded and glanced towards Jill. "Ok I can do that."

"Excellent. You will go first. While you're running, I'll provide as much cover fire as I can. Then once you're safely across, I'll follow you."

"Ok. Then lets do it!"

****

Only a few feet away from their position, James and Risakes also figured out the plan Belivan and Rebecca were concocting. "They're planning on making a run for it." James said, loading his shotgun with more shells. 

"Yeah." Risakes replied, inserting a few new shells into his M178 grenade launcher. "You want to cover their tracks while they make a break for it right?"

James nodded his head, a knowing smile on his face. Risakes smiled back with a devilish glint in his eyes. "Thought so. Let's get to it then."

"On three… two…one! GO!" Suddenly in a flurry of movements, James and Risakes shot from cover firing a huge barrage of fire power at their adversaries. James jerked back with every shot he fired but he was not deterred as every shot tore through quite a few of the oncoming zombies. Risakes was faring even better. He fired two controlled bursts, effectively wiping out a dozen Zombies with every shot. 

Belivan saw what was happening and reacted right on cue. "Ok, GO NOW REBECCA!" He too jumped from cover then fired his AK47 taking out a huge row of oncoming zombies. "RUN RUN RUN!" He yelled frantically.

Rebecca shot from cover at full speed, not taking a single chance to look back. A stray bullet zipped right by her face, causing her to clutch her hands to her ears in fear. She ran even faster until finally she dove behind the huge chunks of rock shielding Jill and Carlos. 

Jill quickly wrapped her arms around the poor girl, pulling her closer behind cover. "It's gonna be ok now Rebecca." Jill whispered silently into the woman's ear. Carlos back was to her as he too made leaps from cover to fire at their adversaries. 

Belivan continued to fire until he saw that Rebecca was safely secured. He then made a break from cover, running as fast as he could while firing at the same time. 

James saw a single Umbrella agent preparing to fire at the running S.T.A.R.S member. "Oh no you don't!" He said as he reacted with lighting speed. Training his crosshairs towards the Umbrella agent, he opened fire several times, his shotgun kicking him back roughly with ever round. The Umbrella agent exploded in a shower of blood and body parts along with everyone else around him. Another agent swiftly turned then fired back. 

James cried out in sudden shock and anger as he felt a searing pain tear through him then suddenly he was engulfed in a pool of darkness. 

"$hit!" Risakes cried as he saw his best friend fall limply to the ground. He ran over to the dark skinned man and saw the blood coming from his head. "Damnit! Hang on buddy hang on!" He said in panic, trying to stanch the blood flow. 

A few yards away Derrick Mathy saw the whole thing. His world stopped when he saw the bullet hit his brother's head. He could barely breath when he then saw him fall limply to the ground. Derrick had entered a complete state of shock while the other man uselessly tried to save his brother's life.

Barry saw the man's shocked expression but didn't register why he suddenly became that way until he saw the tragedy up ahead. "My god… James…"

Without warning, Derrick Mathy grabbed the second machine gun lying by his feet then burst from cover with incredible speed and opened fire relentlessly on his opponents. Only one sentence was uttered from the man's pain stricken voice. "YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!!!!!"

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

__

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 11._


	11. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: All Resident Evil characters, places and things all belong to Capcom and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it. 

****

RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY

CHAPTER 11

Claire's breath came in heavy gasps. She was completely and utterly baffled at this new chain of events that had suddenly transpired before her. Only a few minutes earlier she was fighting for her life to stay alive against a powerful beast. Then finally, as soon as she eliminates that threat, another one just happens to literally point its nose right in her face. 

Her bones still ached from the over exertion she had pushed her body through upon fighting the Tyrant. Her vision was bleary and the scent of burnt charcoal and metal still assaulted her senses. She could still feel the heat of that fatal explosion on her dry, parched skin. The thumping of feet continued to play across her mind as if taunting her short lived victory. Claire hesitantly closed her eyes, realizing that she had nothing left to give. She was completely spent. 

The Umbrella S.W.A.T trooper angled his gun slightly lower towards her heart. Claire slowly and painfully pushed herself up to a sitting position, making sure her captor knew she was not trying anything tricky. She vaguely wondered why the Trooper still hadn't said anything more to her. Much to her discomfort, she reopened her eyes to stare back at the man who had her at gunpoint. Much to her shock she saw that the gun he held was shaking. 

Claire gave the man a slightly inquisitive look. He quickly fell back a few feet. "D-don't move!" He said, his voice raw with intensity and…fear?

Claire didn't know what to make of this situation. She could tell now, after careful speculation that the man's hands were shaking on his gun and she was almost positive he stunk of the familiar aroma of sweat. Claire almost laughed at the irony of her situation. First she's haunted down by some hell demon bent on a killing spree and now she finds herself at the mercy of some rookie who's still wet behind the ears. Had Claire any strength left she might have took the chance of disarming the man. The fact that she didn't simply meant that she would have to rely on reasoning with the poor soul and figuring out a way to talk him out of doing anything drastic. 

Claire's mind raced with a dozen idea's all at once. _'I have to be careful. He's at the breaking point. If I try anything sudden he might snap at any moment. I have to be patient…'_

Claire slowly raised her hand then drew it across her sweaty brow. She could still feel the discomforting heat of the room next to them. She could feel the burn and strain of every muscle in her body. She wanted nothing more then to simply fall asleep and rest away the pains and memories of her recent encounters. Unfortunately, reality was not so merciful. She took a single gulp, eliminating the troublesome lump that had conveniently lodged itself in her throat. "I'm unarmed." She said in a tired voice, raw from strain. "I surrender."

Claire almost laughed at his reaction. His shoulders slouched slightly after her proclamation as if he were sighing in relief under the biohazard mask he wore over his face. _'This guy is 'definitely' a rookie.'_

"Good." The man replied in a tense voice. 

Claire could tell by the weird noises emanating from his mask, that he was breathing hard, probably scared $hitless even still. 

"I'm going to tie you up now." He said with the same tense voice. "Don't try anything funny or I'm going to shoot you ok?"

Claire could feel the little energy she had remaining, fail as her head slouched forward in fatigue. "Fine…" she replied in a silent voice. She could feel her vision blurring. Her mind continued to reel in a small war against slumber and consciousness. _'I can't pass out now. I have to keep fighting. I have to find some way to get out of this situation. If this man captures me then they'll just use me as a weapon against Chris and the others. I've got to… stay… awake. I've got to…'_

"Hey!" The soldier said with a touch of fear in his voice. "Are you listening to me? Wake up! Wake up right now!"

Claire simply couldn't comply with his demands. The comfort of sleep was too demanding now. She could no longer feel the strain of her injuries. She could no longer feel anything. She was slowly falling into blissful peace. 

****

The soldier promptly grabbed her shoulder and shook her anxiously. "Don't… don't do this… please…"

His hand was now shaking violently, staring wide-eyed, at the young girl sitting on the ground in front of him. He could hardly keep his senses in order. Suddenly everything became more stuffy and bothersome for him. He could now feel the discomforting heat surrounding him despite the coolant vest he was wearing. His stomach churned violently at the sight of the silent figure before him. He stumbled back a few feet in fear. 

"Oh god…" He whispered in agonizing horror. "Oh god… what… what did I do?"

He could feel the weak support of scattered glass shattering under the weight of his boots. Suddenly, the sounds became too oppressive for him. The sounds became loud blares upon his senses. The heat invaded his body making him hot. As he transpired he could smell the scent of blood and rotting flesh. Everything became too much for him. He promptly fell over on his rear. He violently yanked off his mask and lost his lunch upon the dust and debris riddled ground. He was now breathing in heavy gasps. His mind was swirling his huge circles. He couldn't concentrate then suddenly his world stopped. There was a loud noise, a sharp pain, and then silence.

****

Blood splattered everywhere as another zombie's head exploded from the M16 rounds that continued to pummel them all. Barry could hardly believe his eyes. In just a matter of seconds, the tide of battle turned drastically. He could tell by the distinct stench of putrid flesh invading the walls and floors of the room, he could tell by the sounds of death ringing loud from all positions close to him. He could feel the intensity of victory with every nerve in his body, as he too became one with those sounds. He too spilt blood and helped to create more of that acrid stench that so horribly invaded his senses. The continuous jerk of his magnum was the only thing keeping him on the steady grounds of reality. It was the only thing reminding him that this was in fact real. Barry absently thought back as he continued to lose himself in the collage of blood and bullets. 

Right after James had fallen, Derrick Mathy had transformed. Barry could see it in his friend's eyes. The man had completely gone berserk. Barry's heart raced when he saw his friend lift the second M16 machine gun. Barry knew it was too late when he saw his friend rise from cover and open up shop on his enemies. Barry had thought it was all over at that point. But surprisingly, he heard the sounds of screaming from another position as well. When Barry turned that way, he saw that Belivan, Jill, and Carlos had also joined in on the madness of Derrick's tragedy. Soon after, Risakes joined in as well. Barry's mind was flushed with a flood of fear and concern that his friends had all signaled their death warrants. But then, suddenly something strange happened. He could hear his enemies screaming in alarm and fear. Barry had risked a glance from cover to see the Zombies getting mowed down at an enormous rate and the Umbrella soldiers behind them, doing the best they could to take cover from the onslaught. It was a slim chance and Barry knew the idea was crazy but then suddenly he too joined in the rush of blood and destruction.

Now, Barry roared as yet another Zombie was torn apart by his bullets. The monster's right eye ripped away, revealing the pink material beneath as the bullet continued its course straight though the creature's head. Barry didn't stop. He flipped open the side of his weapon, depositing the bullets on the ground then slapping in another set from the right pocket of his red vest. Once again he was bringing the pain. 

The Umbrella soldiers did their best to defend, yet one after another, they fell like flies. Carlos dropped the Zombies one after another with deadly precision. Afterwards, Jill would clean up the back row with her AK47, easily tearing apart the Umbrella troopers who continued to try and retaliate. Belivan, who similarly had an AK47, assisted Jill in her assault, taking out as many of their attackers as he could, at the same time, keeping them off guard. Risakes, much like Derrick, simply attacked blindly, yet both men seemed to be doing the most damage as such. Risakes continued to tear huge chunks of flesh and blood away into nothing with his grenade launcher while Derrick use the old fashioned technique and mowed his enemies down with his double machine gun attack. 

The small war continued to grow more and more intense. The entire area became covered in white smoke and raining bullets. Walls were riddled and glass was shattered. Flesh continued to fly and death-filled screams constantly reverberated throughout the area. 

After a few more intense minutes of battle silence rang out in the room. The smoke, still emanating across the air, began to thin lightly. Fresh shells rolled silently across the blood, debris and flesh riddled floor. Barry could feel the sweat beading down every part of his exhausted body. He felt the strains of his intense fighting as fatigue finally began to set throughout his nerves. His breath came in huge gasps and he continued to glance around with wild eyes. He looked around to see everyone else lowering their weapons and walking from cover tentatively. He too walked out from cover to see that all that remained of their enemies was a pile of dead bodies. The battle was over and they had won.

****

Chris Redfield angrily kicked the unconscious body of the Umbrella S.W.A.T. team member out of the way and quickly rushed towards his sister. Immense pain gripped his heart while he swiftly lifted her up in his arms. "Claire! Claire can you hear me?!?" He asked in an anxious, fear drenched voice.

Leon stood close behind with an equally worried expression pasted on his face. The room was stuffy, too stuffy for the young cop's taste. The cloying scent of burnt rubber and molten tar invaded his nostrils. His dry skin also suffered from the searing heat that was constantly growing from the room beyond. 

The young rookie brought a tentative hand behind his left ear lobe and scratched his head nervously. "I-is she going to be ok?"

Chris, who was still inspecting his sister, now turned his head and trained his eyes on the young man. The look on his face made Leon want to simply laugh with glea. Chris eye's were no longer those of an agony ridden man who's existence was on the brink of shattering. Now, all he saw were the eye's of an exhausted man. A man who had bled too much and who was now satisfied, even if only temporarily, because victory had prevailed. 

As if to confirm his suspicions, the ex-S.T.A.R.S officer nodded his head slowly. "Yeah she's fine, save for a few minor bruises. She's just fatigued."

Leon sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. So what now?"

Chris stood up, carefully lifting his sister in his arms. "Can you take her? Meanwhile, I'll grab our hostage. He may have some decent information for us that could prove useful later on." 

Leon nodded then promptly accepted the added weight in his arms. Chris quickly walked over to the unconscious Umbrella agent and roughly hoisted the man over his right shoulder. "Let's get out of here!"

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 12._


	12. RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY (CH. 12)

Disclaimer: All Resident evil characters, places, and things all belong to Capcom and other involved companies. I own none of them except for my own original characters. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.

****

RESIDENT EVIL: ROAD TO DESTINY

CHAPTER 12

Walter Risakes looked on sadly as he walked up to the still form of the man that used to be his best friend. The fight had just ended minutes before yet all that remained was a terrible loss. The stench of dead flesh and mutilated innards continued to wafer through the air yet it didn't seem to bother him at all. Nothing fazed him now. All he could perceive was the painful realization that his friend was dead. And he would never come back. 

Risakes forcefully clenched his hands into fists and slammed them against his knee's. "Damn!" He seethed silently. Suddenly the light crackling of boots upon glass alerted him to someone's presence. Risake snapped his head up then lowered it back down slowly upon recognition of who it was. 

"Derrick… I'm sorry man… There was nothing I could do…"

Derrick looked as if he bore the weight of a thousand terrible tragedies. His eyes were sullen and his shoulders drooped so low it made him into the image of looking pathetic and weak despite the bulk of his huge massive muscular structure. "It's ok Walt." He replied quietly. "There was nothing you could have done anyway…"

He quietly walked over to the body of his brother and kneeled down to glance at him one final time. Suddenly his eyes shot wide. He quickly reached out and grasped his brother's body up in his arms and put his finger to the man's neck. 

Risake was flustered by the man's sudden actions and found himself slightly speechless. "W- what is it? What's wrong?"

Derrick didn't answer as he continued to keep his finger pressed against the man's neck. Slowly the deep line across his brow eased along with the symbolic weight upon his shoulders. The man sighed heavily and a soft smile stretched across his grief-stricken face. 

"Risakes, grab me a medical pack quick!" The big man raised his eyes to look up at the still shocked man. "My brother's alive!"

****

A bead of sweat trickled down the face of Chris Redfield as he continued to walk down the corridor carrying the heavy weight of his Umbrella hostage. The foul smell of excrement and burnt tar continued to assault his senses yet he pushed it all to the back of his mind. The very fact that this Umbrella guard was now their hostage was proof enough that the situation had become more drastic then before. 

Chris stopped in his tracks as he and Leon came to a two way intersection in the hallway. He began looking around at his surroundings once more, desperately trying to remember the exact layout of the facility they were in. The assault on the compound had done much to disfigure the surroundings and effectively obliterate any previous recognition the young S.T.A.R.S officer might have had in regards to figuring his way around. Now he continued to feel the growing sensation of alarm and uncertainty as he trudged forward. 

"What's up?" Leon said with a touch of irritation. He too was struggling with the weight of carrying Claire Redfield, while at the same time still dealing with his own previous injuries. None the less, the rookie cop tried to hide it all under a façade of calm indifference. 

"Just thinking." Chris replied in a distracted voice. He meticulously lowered the weight of his hostage onto the floor then rubbed his chin in thought. The Umbrella hostage was effectively bound both feet and hands, by two thick cords of rope. There was no way he could escape. 

However, the escape of the Umbrella soldier was the least of Chris worries right now. When they had originally found Claire, he wasn't completely oblivious to what was transpiring around him. He could still feel the searing heat of the adjoining fire biting at his skin, sucking every ounce of oxygen away from his parched flesh. He could hear the soft hiss of the flames as they licked around, expanding their growth. Chris knew right off the bat what room that was. One glance and it was confirmed. Leon was clearly flustered when Chris had taken such great effort in walking as fast as he could away from the area. He wanted to tell the young cop but he knew that it was quite possible the young rookie might panic and the last think he needed now was an overactive cop dashing around and unknowingly running into a pool of freshly transported zombies. Or even worse, they could end up stumbling on an Umbrella swat platoon or even falling through a vacant pit hole. 

There were tones of possibilities yet Chris mind was so drained he simply didn't have the time or the patience to go through them all, one by one. He had to think clearly and accurately. He couldn't be distracted by possibilities when faced with an even more drastic reality. 

Suddenly a hand clapped him on the shoulder, startling him enough to break him out of his brief spell of concentration. He turned his eyes to see Leon staring at him with a mixture of amusement and understanding painted on his face. 

"You don't have to be embarrassed about it. You're lost are you?"

A slight smile touched the dark haired man's lips. Yet again the rookie cop had astonished him with his sharp eye and easygoing nature. Chris hadn't even notice when the young cop had deposited his sister onto a more clean area of the hall. Even more confusing was how fast the young cop had managed to find the blanket that was now covering his sister's shoulders. 

__

'Hmm, well now…' Chris thought to himself in thought. _'Maybe my sister didn't make such a bad choice in companions after all.'_

Meanwhile, Leon continued to look in all directions, obviously trying to help out by finding some familiar route they could take. 

"Hmm… what was the last big area we passed through?" Leon asked helpfully. "You know, the room where we rescued Claire? If we knew what room that was, it may give you an idea to where we are now…"

Chris nodded slowly but didn't say anything as to the name of that room. He knew if he mentioned the name, Leon would quickly put two and two together and probably throw a fit. Instead, Chris sighed slightly and began looking around, searching for more clues around the hall they were currently in. 

"Hey what's this?" Leon asked curiously, pointing to a half-burnt sign on a nearby wall. Chris turned his head casually over to see what the young cop was pointing at. 

****

Thump… Thump… Thump… 

Both men's heads turned immediately to the new sounds. The sign completely forgotten in the ex-cop's mind, he immediately rushed towards Claire's limp figure. 

Chris turned his face towards Leon, noticing what he was doing. "Get her out of here Kennedy! Take the left exit, I'll take the right."

"What do you have in mind?" Leon asked, growing tense as the seconds passed by while the sickening sounds of feet became louder in the distance. 

"I'm going to see if I can buy us some time! No matter what, You need to make it to the hanger bay and tell everyone to take off! I'll meet you there as soon as I take care of this threat here!"

"Chris!" Leon protested vehemently. "Don't be stupid! You don't know what's down that hall! You may not be able to handle this on your own!"

"There's no time for this Kennedy! We don't have a choice any more! The clock is ticking now MOVE IT!"

Leon shot Chris an angry look then turned his eyes back towards the unconscious Claire. In the end he knew he didn't have a choice to begin with. "We're not going to leave you behind!" The ex-cop called out to him.

"I know. There's no more time now. GO!"

Angrily, Leon turned on his feet and ran down the left corridor as fast as he could with the limp weight of Claire on his shoulders.

Chris checked his magnum and saw that it had a full chamber. "Excellent." He breathed silently to himself then cocked the weapon back into place. 

****

Thump… Thump… Thump… THUMP

The sounds continued to increase in volume and Chris suddenly knew that this wasn't any ordinary zombie. Realization hit the ex-S.t.a.r.s officer like a brick. 

__

'It can't be!' Chris frantic mind screamed loudly though he knew the reality. He knew he was wrong. He suddenly realized why he and Leon found his sister so worn out. She had been duking it out with the S.t.a.r.s greatest enemy of them all. Tyrant!

Chris could feel the beating of his heart beginning to pump in sync with the Thumping of the beast's feet against solid concrete. 

The dark shadows of the hall slowly parted revealing maimed burnt flesh and a ghastly ripped and torn arm hanging limply from a disproportional huge monster figure. 

Chris world suddenly froze for a split second. The next sounds that reverberated off the walls were the sounds of loud gunfire tearing into organically enhanced flesh.

****

Leon didn't know what to do. Every time he convinced himself that leaving Chris was the right thing to do, he would hear another discharge of gunfire and then a loud inhuman cry of pain. The very sound unnerved the cop to his very core. There was no mistaking that sound. He knew exactly 'who' Chris was fighting now and it made him feel all the more sick about it. He could feel his heart pulsating faster and faster as his legs continued to pick up speed. His mind began to wander in all directs. Was it right to leave Chris? If he hadn't, what would that have meant for Claire's safety, and then, why had Claire all of a sudden become so important to him? Leon shook his flustered thoughts away as he neared a turning point in the halls. He could feel his side burning with pain once more. He was sure at this point that, at the rate he was going, his injuries would never heal. He had to push the excruciating pain to the back of his mind for so long yet now the pain was becoming overwhelming. He tentatively turned his glance towards his injured side only to notice a mass of blood building up through his shirt. 

"Damn!" He swore to himself silently then rearranged Claire to a better holding position. His eyes unintentionally traveled towards the peaceful face of the woman he was carrying. As he stared off into the realm of her beautiful features and the way her perfectly sculptured face captured even the smallest hint of light off the corridor in the most delicate way, suddenly his burden didn't seem so heavy anymore. Despite the pain, despite the agony, despite how bad he felt leaving Chris behind, there was one thing Leon found that he would uphold. He would protect this woman, even if it cost him his life. 

Fueled with new vigor, Leon, once again, picked up speed and began running as fast as he could. Whether or not he got out of this alive, he was determined to ensure Claire's safety. That was all that mattered to him now.

****

"We got a green light!" Carlos yelled over the roaring sound of helicopter rotors as their transport came to life even after the brutal assault it had gone through.

"Engines are looking good!" Aiken added. "It's a miracle this baby survived all this."  


"Well let's not push lady luck any further today!" Barry said hopping into the 'copter, pulling the last box of equipment in with him. "I wouldn't be surprised if Umbrella has even more back up ready to attack us again at any second."

"Then let's not give them the opportunity!" Carlos yelled from the pilot seat. 

They were all firmly secured inside the helicopter. One of the chairs had been pulled into a bed like position where they had strapped a completely comatose James Mathy. Rebecca Chambers diligently continued treating the young man, patching his head up and aiding him to the best of her abilities. Derrick Mathy was on the other side of his brother's makeshift bed, clutching the man's limp hand feverishly. Risakes was in the next seat over, an equally concerned look on his face. Barry quickly strapped himself down in between Belivan and Jill. Sherry too had been treated with a medical guase wrap securely fastened around her head, she had been securely seated in her chair across from Berry next to Risakes. Aiken and Carlos were finishing their preparations for lift off.

Barry cast his eyes on Jill who wore a deeply concerned look. 

Barry gently cupped her hand in his. "Don't worry Jill. This is for the best. We won't leave them behind. We're just going to get some distance and collect our missing companions from the air."

Jill slowly turned her eyes towards Barry. "I know, it's just… Nothing's for certain now… Barry… we don't even know if they're alive…"

"Barry's face darkened slightly. "They 'are' alive Jill! I'm certain of it. Don't worry, we'll get them out of there!"

Barry would have said more but suddenly, he was jerked slightly back into his seat as the helicopter quickly began to take to the air. Barry flipped the remote switch in his hands and the Hanger bay wall doors slowly hissed open. 

"Looks like we've got a clear path." Aiken said, continually scanning around to make sure nothing could go wrong.

"Let's take her up and get some distance before those Umbrella bastards can get on our tails again." Carlos suggested. 

Aiken complied and increased the speed slightly as the helicopter rose up into the air and zoomed off higher into the skies. 

Belivan's eyes widened suddenly. "Hey wait a minute! I see something!" 

Barry snapped his head towards the man. "What do you mean?"

"I've got a visual on somebody exiting through the rear doors down below!"

Barry whipped his head to either side, trying to look and see who it was. Jill too began to search around anxiously.

"Don't worry." Aiken said calmly. "I see them now. Look's like two people. One man carrying a girl."

Barry's mind was working overtime. "Belivan throw down a line."

The man complied and quickly tossed over the corded rope ladder. 

"$hit!" Carlos shouted. "We got another visual here! Incoming Umbrella S.W.A.T.T troops coming in fast! Lets make this quick people!"

Jill looked off to the side and saw that the two people now trying to climb the ropes were Leon and Claire. She fought away the heavy stone that edged towards her heart and focused her eyes now on the dangerously close squad of Umbrella troops closing in on the couple's position. Without warning, she released her safety harness straps, pulled out her berretta and opened fire on the Umbrella troops. They retaliated in full and began opening a barrage of machinegun fire. Leon seemed surged on by the sounds of gunfire, as he quickly grabbed hold of the ladder while at the same time clutching Claire in his arms desperately. Aiken pulled the helicopter back slowly so that they could avoid getting shot. 

"They ain't gonna make it this way!" Risakes shouted. He released his safety harness as well then quickly moved past Jill and made his way down the ladder taking care to avoid the incoming bullet fire by Umbrella. 

Barry whipped his arm out, firing random shots from his Colt Python to provide backup fire. Belivan too yanked out a machine gun and began firing relentlessly. 

Risakes skillfully scaled down the ladder then threw his arm out to leon who was still struggling on the cords. "Give her to me!" He yelled above the wail of helicopter rotors and flying bullets. 

Leon nodded his head, hair whipping through the wind. He carefully moved Claire's limp figure towards Risakes. The man quickly grabbed hold of the young woman and positioned her over his shoulder. "Let's go!" He yelled to Leon then as fast as he could, quickly scaled up the ladder skillfully. Leon took only a second to admire the man's skill in being able to ascend a ladder while at the same time carrying a woman over his shoulders. However a second was all he had to think about it as a bullet zipped dangerously close by his head. Leon sped up, frantically climbing up the corded ladder as fast as he could. His arms grew tired with fatigue yet he fought the urge to simply let go into the bliss of unconsciousness. He wouldn't give up yet. 

Risakes promptly got to the edge of the 'copter then pushed Claire in before climbing over into the machine himself. Once over, he threw his arm out to Leon who grasped it firmly in his outstretched hand. 

Suddenly a loud tearing sound rang out closely followed by a splash of blood hitting Leon's face together with an angry cry of pain. 

"Argh! Damnit!" Risakes screamed but didn't let go. Leon pulled hard on the man's hand, using his other to wipe the blood away from his face. 

"They're getting hostile down there, I'm going to have to break for more distance!" Aiken called back then moved the 'copter more. 

Leon lost his grip and felt his hand slip away from Risake's grasp. "No!" He screamed as he felt his body weightlessly falling. 

At the last possible second, a strong arm suddenly reached out and grabbed his falling hand once more just before he fell out of reach. This time it was Barry. 

"I've got you kid! Don't worry!" He grunted as he summoned all of his strength and lifted the man into the helicopter. 

Jill pulled back as soon as he was through then Closed the helicopter door shut so that no bullets could pass through.

"How's your arm?" Barry asked Risakes as he began making his way back to his seat. 

Risakes gave him a weary look. "I'll be ok. Thanks for the save." The man then turned his face towards Leon, an apologetic look in his eyes. "I'm really sorry about that man."

Leon was still breathing heavily as he just lay on the floor of the helicopter. "D- don't worry about it." They young man breathed heavily in an exhausted voice. "You still saved my life… all of you. I owe you guys one. But… we gotta go back!"

"Is it about Chris?" Jill asked almost too anxiously.

Leon gulped and nodded his head. "He…he's still down there. Down there fighting the Tyrant!"

__

::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::

**__**

Author's note: _Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 13._


End file.
